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Nigeria: 10 Years after Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk – HRW
Nigeria: 10 Years after Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk – HRW
…Urges Government To Implement Safe Schools Plan to Protect Schools, Children
By: Our Reporter
Ten years after the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigerian authorities have failed to put in place and sustain crucial measures to provide a secure learning environment for every child, Human Rights Watch said today.
Since 2014, according to Save the Children, more than 1,600 children have been abducted or kidnapped across northern Nigeria. In the northeast, the armed conflict between Boko Haram and Nigerian armed forces continues to take its toll and, in the northwest, criminal groups commonly called bandits are terrorizing communities. During February and March 2024 alone, bandits kidnapped over 200 children from their schools in Kaduna and Sokoto states.
“For many children across northern Nigeria, the pursuit of an education means facing the constant threat of abduction or kidnapping,” said Anietie Ewang, Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Children should never face the harrowing dilemma of sacrificing their safety for education, but this untenable choice, which echoes the profound insecurity plaguing the country, is thrust upon them daily.”
On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram, an Islamist armed group, abducted 276 girls from their school in Chibok, a town in northeastern Borno state, sparking global outrage. Although some of the girls escaped, or were released or rescued, 96 remain in captivity according to UNICEF, and civil society groups continue to pressure the government to ensure they are rescued. Boko Haram, known for its opposition to education, has carried out other such abductions, including one of 110 girls from a school in Dapchi, a town in Yobe state, in 2018.
In addition to kidnappings by Boko Haram in the northeast, the ongoing banditry crisis in the northwest has in recent years made that area a hub for criminal kidnapping for ransom. The crisis emerged after years of conflict between herders and farmers, giving rise to the criminal groups, which have carried out widespread killings, looting, extortion, and kidnapping for ransom in mostly rural communities.
Between December 2020 and February 2021, a series of high-profile incidents, including the abduction of over 600 schoolchildren across Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger states, thrust the kidnapping issue into the spotlight.
In the aftermath of Chibok, the Nigerian government endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, an international political commitment to protect education from attack and schools from military use which turns them into targets. The government also adopted a Safe School Initiative for Nigeria with the support of the global community and Nigerian business leaders. The initiative aimed to raise funds with an initial US$10 million pledge to help make schools safer, including by moving them to safer areas and creating a safe school model for schools across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, the three states worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency.
However, the multi-stakeholder initiative faced problems, and there has been a decline in momentum over the years with little or no progress made in fortifying schools, Human Rights Watch said. In 2021, Nigeria’s then-Senate president Ahmad Lawan, following an investigation into the utilization of the funds for the initiative, declared that it was designed to fail without a National Policy and Strategy for the Safe School Initiative and the leadership of the Federal Education Ministry. In the meantime, communities continue to suffer the brunt of bandit attacks and schoolchildren remain vulnerable prey.
A Chibok girl who was in Boko Haram captivity for over two years, and was released with 20 others, told Human Rights Watch that news of school kidnappings brings back memories of her ordeal. “Whenever I hear that more children have been kidnapped, I feel terrible, helpless,” she said. “We are still not safe … It brings back memories of what happened to me. I can never forget being snatched from my parents, my family for so long. I pray this is not the case for those that are kidnapped.” She is now a 28-year-old university student studying natural and environmental sciences.
Kemi Okenyodo, an expert in security and governance and the executive director of the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative in Abuja, told Human Rights Watch that the ongoing school kidnappings, resembling those in Chibok a decade ago, highlight a failure to learn from past experiences, as they are taking place without adequate security infrastructure or intervention from authorities to prevent dozens or hundreds of children being snatched away at once.
Amid the heightened threat of attacks on schools, many have been forced to shut down completely, with more than 20 million children out of school in Nigeria, according to UNESCO, among the highest number in any country in the world. According to UNICEF, 66 percent of out-of-school children in Nigeria are from the northeast and northwest, which are among the poorest regions in the country.
For girls especially, the challenges are double edged. They risk rape and other forms of sexual violence if kidnapped, and if kept out of school, they risk child marriage, which is a common practice in these regions.
In 2021, the government adopted the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence Free Schools aimed at improving school security, strengthening the capabilities of security agents to respond to threats, and ensuring that education continues for children displaced by conflict and crisis, among other reasons.
The authorities committed to investing 144.8 billion naira (about $314.5 million at the time) over a certain period to finance this initiative. In 2023, they announced that 15 billion naira (about $24 million at the time) had been earmarked to pilot the initiative in 18 high-risk states and 48 schools. However, details of the implementation are sparse, and it remains unclear the extent to which this has been done.
Okenyodo told Human Rights Watch that the government needs to involve communities in designing and implementing initiatives to make schools safer to create a sense of ownership and reduce inefficiency and corruption.
“Now more than ever, the Nigerian authorities should step up efforts to make learning safe for children,” Ewang said. “They should work with communities to adopt rights-respecting measures and put in place adequate financing, systems, and structures to ensure quick, effective, and transparent implementation to ensure that children can learn without being exposed to grave harm.”
Nigeria: 10 Years after Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk – HRW
Experts Push Structured Islamic Estate Planning to Protect Wealth, Prevent Family Disputes
By: Michael Mike
Legal, financial and Islamic scholars have urged Nigerians to embrace structured Islamic estate planning, warning that informal and undocumented wealth transfer practices continue to expose families to conflict, asset loss and prolonged court battles.
The call was made in Abuja at the 8th Annual Islamic Estate Planning Clinic, themed “From Informality to Legacy: Structuring Islamic Wealth Transfer.” The event was organised by The Metropolitan Law Firm in partnership with First Trustees Limited and Al-Ameen Trustees Limited.
Speakers at the forum stressed that increasing reliance on verbal agreements and family-based arrangements often undermines the intentions of asset owners and creates avoidable disputes among beneficiaries.
Managing Partner of The Metropolitan Law Firm, Hajia Ummahani Amin, said many Nigerian families fail to document their estate plans, leading to mismanagement and outcomes that contradict Islamic inheritance principles.
She explained that estate planning enables individuals to organise their affairs ahead of death and ensure their wishes are carried out in line with both legal and religious requirements.
“Leaving assets with relatives or friends without proper documentation has resulted in serious challenges for many families,” Amin said.
She noted that while Islamic law provides clear inheritance guidelines, individuals are permitted to allocate up to one-third of their estate through structured instruments such as wills, trusts and endowments. According to her, these tools are essential for protecting beneficiaries and sustaining long-term family legacies, especially as Nigeria adjusts to digitalisation and emerging tax reforms.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Isa Pantami, Co-Chairman of the African Union’s 4th Industrial Revolution Policy Council, called for a shift from informal practices to properly documented, Sharia-compliant estate planning systems.
Pantami said verbal agreements are unreliable and often fuel disputes, adding that structured wealth transfer is both a legal necessity and a religious obligation in Islam.
He advocated the use of modern technologies, including blockchain-based systems, to secure wills and estate documents, while also highlighting challenges such as delayed will-writing, undocumented property ownership and cultural practices that conflict with Islamic inheritance laws.
Chairperson of the Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman, Dr Hajiya Aisha Babangida, emphasised the need for sustained public education on Islamic financial instruments.
She noted that tools such as waqf (Islamic endowment), trusts and Sukuk could be leveraged to support education, infrastructure and community development if properly understood and utilised.
“Awareness and education are critical,” she said. “Structured planning helps families preserve wealth while contributing to broader social development.”
Also speaking, Associate Director of First Trustees Limited, Mr Abimbola Ajinibi, identified cultural misconceptions as a major obstacle to effective estate planning among Muslims.
He explained that many wrongly assume Islamic inheritance laws eliminate the need for wills, whereas individuals retain discretionary powers over a portion of their estate.
“Failure to plan often results in intestate estates and lengthy probate processes, which can cost as much as 10 per cent of the estate value,” Ajinibi said.
He added that estate planning goes beyond wills to include trusts, gifts and powers of attorney designed to ensure smooth wealth transition.
On regulatory developments, Rotimi Obende of First Trustees highlighted the impact of tax reforms effective from January 1, 2026, noting that income generated from estates and trusts is now subject to reporting and taxation.
“Although inheritance transfers remain largely unaffected, income earned during estate administration must be declared,” he said, adding that proper structures help ensure taxes are assessed on net income.
Representative of Al-Ameen Trustees Limited, Ms Mutiat Olatunji, underscored the importance of regulated, faith-based trustees in ensuring ethical, transparent and Sharia-compliant estate management.
She said professional trusteeship plays a critical role in regulatory compliance and responsible wealth stewardship for both private beneficiaries and community development initiatives.
Participants concluded the clinic by urging Nigerians to combine religious guidance with legal expertise, professional trusteeship and modern technology to secure their families’ futures.
They agreed that structured Islamic estate planning is vital not only for preserving wealth, but also for promoting social stability, accountability and intergenerational prosperity.
Experts Push Structured Islamic Estate Planning to Protect Wealth, Prevent Family Disputes
News
NDLEA Arrests China-Bound Businessman With 95 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport, Busts Drug Syndicates Nationwide
NDLEA Arrests China-Bound Businessman With 95 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport, Busts Drug Syndicates Nationwide
By: Michael Mike
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Izueke, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for attempting to traffic cocaine to China.
Izueke was intercepted last Saturday, during the outward screening of passengers travelling to China via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940. A body scan revealed that he had ingested illicit drugs, after which he was placed under medical observation.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, he later excreted 95 jumbo-sized wraps of cocaine, weighing a total of 1.589 kilogrammes, over seven separate excretions. The suspect told investigators he deals in clothing and automobile spare parts in Lagos and claimed he ventured into drug trafficking to raise funds to complete a house he is building in his hometown, Iwollo, Enugu State.
In Abuja, NDLEA operatives recovered 627.7 kilogrammes of skunk from a makeshift warehouse located within Fums Plaza, Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory. The agency also foiled an attempt to smuggle methamphetamine concealed inside MP3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna. The drugs were intercepted in a commercial bus laat Friday.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Ebube Okeke in Zuba, FCT, with 173 grammes of methamphetamine. Three other suspects—Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Arinze and Friday Michael—were arrested the following day in Kaduna while attempting to collect another consignment weighing 28 grams.
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers at the Dan-Anacha patrol point in Gassol Local Government Area intercepted a 32-year-old suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, conveying yogurt packs from Lagos to Mubi, Adamawa State. A search of the consignment uncovered 1.8 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in some of the yogurt packs.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 29-year-old Beninoise, Shuaibu Abdulrahman, at Ibudo-Igboho village, Sooro Kishi, with 149.6 kilogrammes of skunk hidden inside rice shafts. In a separate operation in Ibadan, officers arrested Adeniyi Adeola, popularly known as “Prince,” at Agbeni Market and recovered over 10,800 ampoules of pentazocine injections and 117,820 capsules of tramadol from his truck.
Also in Ibadan, NDLEA dismantled a synthetic cannabis production facility in Badeku area, arresting a drug kingpin, Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, and his accomplice, Ogundipe Yusuf, 27. Recovered items included precursor chemicals, skunk, production equipment, ₦7.4 million in cash and two vehicles.
In Kwara State, NDLEA intercepted a fuel tanker travelling from Lagos to Maiduguri and recovered 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed within the truck. The driver was taken into custody.
Further arrests were recorded in Imo State, where a couple was apprehended with 203 kilogrammes of skunk, and in Ondo State, where 420 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a bush in Ikun Akoko. In Lagos, 31 wraps of cocaine were seized from a suspect arriving from Côte d’Ivoire by boat, while another suspect was arrested on Lagos Island with 3.6 kilograms of Canadian Loud and Colorado.
In Enugu, NDLEA operatives arrested a 37-year-old drug dealer and recovered various quantities of skunk, methamphetamine, cocaine, molly and cash from his residence.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, communities and traditional institutions nationwide during the period.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged personnel across the country to remain committed and professional in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
NDLEA Arrests China-Bound Businessman With 95 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport, Busts Drug Syndicates Nationwide
VP Shettima To Chair National Economic Council Conference To Drive Inclusive Growth
By: Our Reporter
The Federal Government will on Monday convene the National Economic Council (NEC) Conference to strengthen Nigeria’s economic coordination and accelerate inclusive growth across all states of the federation.
Governors of the 36 states and key national stakeholders will attend the conference.
Scheduled for February 9 and 10, 2026, and holding at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the conference is being convened by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
The theme of the conference is “Delivering Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development: The Renewed Hope National Development Plan.” It is expected to produce far-reaching policy direction for the states as they align with the Federal Government’s long-term economic agenda.
According to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and Secretary of the NEC, Dr. Deborah Oko Odo, the conference will address pressing macroeconomic priorities.
“The conference will focus on national economic issues aimed at encouraging economic growth and development across the country,” she said.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the National Economic Council, will preside over the two-day summit, which will feature deliberations on fiscal coordination, investment mobilisation, and shared development strategies between the federal and state governments.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will serve as the Special Guest of Honour, while other top government officials, development partners, and private-sector leaders are expected to participate in the conference as the federal government works to deepen its reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
VP Shettima To Chair National Economic Council Conference To Drive Inclusive Growth
Experts Push Structured Islamic Estate Planning to Protect Wealth, Prevent Family Disputes
NDLEA Arrests China-Bound Businessman With 95 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport, Busts Drug Syndicates Nationwide
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