The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has called for mass protests across Nigeria following the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted by armed groups in different parts of the country.
The group expressed frustration over what it described as the government’s slow response to rising attacks on schools and the increasing insecurity affecting students, teachers and rural communities. According to the ERC, the failure to secure the release of the children has deepened fear among parents and exposed the fragile state of public safety within the education sector.
In a statement released during the week, the organization urged students, parents, civil society groups, labour unions and concerned Nigerians to mobilize for peaceful demonstrations demanding urgent action from security agencies and political leaders.
The ERC argued that repeated school abductions have created a climate of fear capable of discouraging school attendance, especially in vulnerable communities already struggling with poverty and poor access to education. The group also accused authorities of failing to develop long-term strategies to protect schools from attacks.
Recent months have witnessed renewed cases of kidnappings involving students and teachers in northern parts of the country, with several victims still reportedly being held by kidnappers demanding ransom payments.
The organization maintained that public pressure and nationwide civic action were necessary to compel authorities to prioritize the rescue of the abducted children and improve security around schools.
Security experts and education advocates have repeatedly warned that persistent attacks on schools could worsen Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis, already among the highest in the world.
Meanwhile, anxious parents and residents in affected communities continue to wait for updates on rescue operations while calling on the federal government to intensify efforts toward securing the safe return of the victims.
