No fewer than 603 students and teachers have been kidnapped in seven major school abductions across Nigeria between March 2024 and May 2026, raising fresh concerns about the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s Safe Schools Initiative.
The alarming figure emerged amid growing insecurity in schools and renewed criticism of the N145 billion safety programme introduced after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.
Despite government promises to improve security around learning institutions, armed groups have continued to target schools in different parts of the country, leaving parents, teachers and students living in fear.
Records from reported incidents show that schools in Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kogi, Borno and Oyo states were attacked during the period under review, with hundreds of students and teachers abducted.
One of the largest incidents occurred on March 7, 2024, when 137 pupils were kidnapped from LEA Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga, Kaduna State. Just two days later, another 15 students were abducted from a Tsangaya school in Sokoto State.
In November 2025, gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls from a secondary school in Kebbi State, while another attack in Niger State saw 303 students and 12 teachers taken from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri before they were later rescued.
Other attacks were recorded in Kogi, Borno and Oyo states, where dozens of students and teachers were also kidnapped.
The Safe Schools Initiative was designed to strengthen security in schools across the country through infrastructure improvements, surveillance systems and community engagement. The programme, which was expected to run between 2023 and 2026, was projected to cost about N144.8 billion.
However, officials familiar with the programme admitted that funding challenges and poor implementation have slowed progress.
A senior government official, who spoke anonymously, said many states were yet to fully key into the initiative despite ongoing consultations with state governments and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Education stakeholders have blamed the rising attacks on inadequate security infrastructure in schools.
The National President of the Parent-Teacher Association, Haruna Danjuma, accused governments of failing to prioritise the safety and education of children.
According to him, many public schools still operate without perimeter fencing, surveillance facilities or trained security personnel.
“Our schools remain vulnerable. Teachers are being killed and students kidnapped, yet there is little evidence that enough is being done to protect them,” he said.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers also expressed concern over the increasing attacks on schools, warning that learning cannot thrive in an unsafe environment.
NUT President, Titus Audu Amba, said schools had become attractive targets for kidnappers and bandits, adding that governments must take urgent steps to protect teachers and students.
“If this situation continues, we may have no choice but to shut down schools because the safety of teachers and students must come first,” he warned.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International also criticised the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative, saying bureaucratic delays and allegations of corruption had weakened the programme.
According to the organisation, several northern states have been forced to close schools indefinitely because of insecurity, disrupting the education of thousands of children.
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Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress has backed the NUT’s protests over insecurity and warned that it could organise solidarity actions if governments fail to address the situation.
NLC President Joe Ajaero described the recurring school abductions as a national tragedy and called for immediate action to rescue all kidnapped students and teachers.
Security analyst Chidi Omeje described the number of abductions as “staggering,” noting that what once appeared to be isolated incidents had now become a recurring pattern across the country.
He warned that the continued attacks on schools pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s education system and future development.
Amid the growing concerns, student groups, political organisations and civil society bodies have intensified calls for stronger security measures, while the National Association of Nigerian Students has announced protests demanding the rescue of abducted schoolchildren.
Many stakeholders now insist that unless urgent and coordinated action is taken, Nigeria’s schools may continue to face increasing threats from criminal groups, putting the future of thousands of children at risk.
