By Ijeoma UKAZU |
Following the release of the 344 abducted Kankara school boys in Katsina state, the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) has hailed the release, however, they condemned the attack says, no cause justifies such against children and schools.
UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Peter Hawkins said in a statement that, “I am relieved to hear that about 344 children are reported to have been released last night and we look forward to their safe returns to their families. If any are still being held, we call on the attackers to release all children immediately. Any other children still being held captive in Nigeria should also be released.
“For one week, parents were awake at night, crying and awaiting the return of their sons. My thoughts and solidarity are with these children, their families and the Kankara community – who have endured an unimaginable ordeal this past week.”
He added that, ” the appalling attack on Government Boys Science Secondary School in the Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina state that shocked the country lasted for almost one week. Such cruel disregard for humanity must come to an end.”
Hawkins said, attack directly targeting children in the middle of the night, in a place where they should feel safe, was an outrage, adding that schools should be safe, children should never be the target of attack, “and yet, far too often in Nigeria, they are precisely that – victims of attacks on their schools.”
He said, attacks on educational facilities are a grave violation of children’s rights, lamenting that this incident is a disturbing reminder of the heavy toll that violence takes on civilians in north-west Nigeria, including children.
The UNICEF Nigeria Representative states that, such attacks deprive children of the right to an education as this will instill fear of going to the classroom, and parents afraid to send their children to school, stressing that schools must be safe places to study and develop, and learning cannot become a perilous endeavor.
He said interventions must be put in place to ensure that schools are safe, and that all Nigerian children can learn without fear, adding that these interventions should take into account the important role that communities can play in ensuring the safety of schools, including through support for School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs).
Share this
