The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) says Nigerian government must ensure safety of all school students irrespective of their location in the country.
UNICEF Nigeria representative Peter Hawkins said this in a statement on Friday
He said the UN agency was “angered and saddened” by the abduction of over 300 schoolgirls from a school in Zamfara.
Bandits invaded Government Girls Secondary School Jangebe, Zamfara State, and abducted over 300 students, in the early hours of Friday.
Security sources believe the girls have been taken into a forest.
Hawkins said: “This is a gross violation of children’s rights and a horrific experience for children to go through one which could have long-lasting effects on their mental health and well-being,” he said in a statement.
“Children should feel safe at home and at school at all times and parents should not need to worry for the safety of their children when they send them off to school in the morning.”
He said UNICEF is working with partners to confirm the exact number of kidnapped students, currently estimated to be more than 300.
The Zamfara school attack comes 10 days after bandits abducted 40 students and teachers of Government Science College Kagara, Niger State.
