ActionAid Nigeria has condemned the abductions of Internally Displaced Persons in the Gambarou-Ngala area of Borno State and pupils and teachers of LEA Primary School at Kuriga, Kaduna State.
The bandits were reported to have invaded the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Government Area of the state on Thursday, shooting at their victims before taking away about 280 of the pupils and teachers from both schools.
The incident occurred barely 24 hours after insurgents abducted 200 internally displaced women while fetching firewood in the bush in Ngala, the headquarters of Gambarou-Ngala in Borno State.
In a statement by its Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, AAN said the abductions mirrored the previous abductions of the Chibok and Dapchi girls, adding that every passing moment without actions drew the country closer to a repeat of tragic outcomes of previous abduction cases.
He called on the Borno and Kaduna state governments, as well as the Federal Government, to prioritise the immediate rescue of the victims and reunite them with their families.
The group also demanded accountability and justice for all the victims of the abductions while urging security agencies to learn from past mistakes and take decisive action to prevent further harm to the abductees.
It further highlighted the urgent need for government to prioritise the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative agreed upon by federal and state schools, noting that insecurity has contributed to the current 20 million children who are out of school, and the Safe Schools Initiative aims to address these challenges and ensure a safe learning environment for all children in Nigeria.
The Country Director emphasised that the government must ensure that security agencies did not delay in rescuing the abductees.