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Nigeria: 10 Years after Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk – HRW

Published

2 years ago

April 12, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

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

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ADC Unveils Timetable, Guidelines for 2025/2026 Congresses, National Convention

Published

11 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

ADC Unveils Timetable, Guidelines for 2025/2026 Congresses, National Convention

By: Michael Mike

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has released a comprehensive timetable and guidelines for the conduct of its congresses and national convention for the 2025/2026 political year, as part of efforts to strengthen internal democracy and reposition the party ahead of future elections.

The guidelines are contained in a National Secretariat Circular dated December 30, 2025, and signed by the party’s National Chairman, Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe.

According to the circular, the party’s activities will commence with a Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting scheduled for January 5, 2025, followed by a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on January 7, 2025.

Key agenda items at the NEC meeting include the filling of vacancies in the National Working Committee (NWC), the fixing of dates for membership registration and revalidation, and preparations for ward, local government and state congresses.

He said: “For 2026, the ADC announced that membership registration and revalidation will take place from January 2 to January 15. This will be followed by ward executive committee congresses on January 17, with matters arising to be addressed between January 19 and 22.

“Local government congresses are scheduled for January 24, while state executive committee congresses will be held on January 31, 2026. Matters Arising: February 2-5, 2026 National-Level Activities.

“National Working Committee Convention: d. The approved delegates to the State Congresses, as provided for in Article 24 (a) – (e) and specifically modified by a resolution of the NWC at its 17th December, 2026 in National
headquarters Abuja are as follows: Local Government Chairmen

“LGA Secretaries; Youth Leader; Women Leader; State Executive Committee members and National Executive Committee (NEC) members from the State; PWD Leader; Ex-Officio Member; All Elected Council Chairman and their Deputies; Board of Trustees Member; Zonal National Officer; Any Elected National / State Assembly Members; Legal Adviser.

“States shall constitute Congress Planning Committees, membership of which shall not include persons contesting for any of the state executive offices.

“All persons willing to contest for state offices shall register their intentions with the State Congress Committee with an intention Fees N2,000.00 (Two Thousand Naira Only) which the Congress Committee may utilize for the purpose of financing the congresses, in part.

“The State Executive Committee shall supervise the work of the Congress Planning Committee to ensure strict compliance with the guidelines on State Congresses.

“Approved composition and distribution of the State Executive Committee members should, as much as practicable, be carried out according to the Senatorial Zones and in compliance with the Party’s Constitutional provision (Article 5, 17):

“Senatorial Zone with the highest number of members (6 positions). Chairman; Asst. Secretary; Asst. Financial Secretary; Auditor; Organizing Secretary; Women Leader; Senatorial Zone with 2nd highest number of members (5 positions); Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Legal Adviser, Asst. Publicity Secretary, Asst.”

On zoning, the ADC disclosed that distribution of state executive committee positions should, as much as practicable, reflect senatorial zones and comply with the party’s constitutional provisions.

The party’s National Working Committee convention is slated for February 13 to 15, 2026.

The party emphasised that only validly registered or revalidated members whose names appear in the official membership register will be eligible to participate in the congresses, in line with provisions of the ADC constitution.

State chapters were also directed to formally notify the National Secretariat of the dates, venues and times of their congresses to enable proper communication with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said: “The criteria for qualification to contest for executive positions in the State Executive Committee are as follows: At least, attendance of Secondary School; The Offices of State Legal Adviser, Treasurer and Financial Secretary should have experiences in their respective professions; else the offices should be occupied by persons best deemed suitable.

“The Office of the State Youth Leader must NOT be more than 25 years while that of the State Woman Leader is exclusively reserved for Women.

“All pre-congress appeals shall be determined not later than 24 hours before the congresses while all appeals consequent upon the congresses shall be determined within 3 days after the congresses.

“The Congress Planning Committee shall submit reports of congresses to the National Secretariat via adcnationalcongressreformcommitee@gmail.com not later than 5 working days after the congresses.”

The party urged members and state chapters to strictly adhere to the guidelines to ensure transparent, credible and orderly congresses nationwide.

ADC Unveils Timetable, Guidelines for 2025/2026 Congresses, National Convention

News

Multiple terrorists neutralised in Sambisa as coordinated strikes unsettle ISWAP commanders

Published

12 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Multiple terrorists neutralised in Sambisa as coordinated strikes unsettle ISWAP commanders

By: Zagazola Makama

Fresh intelligence emerging from the Sambisa Forest indicates significant disarray within the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following a series of coordinated ground and aerial strikes by Nigerian forces that dislodged key terrorist hideouts and neutralised dozens of fighters at the turn of the new year.

Zagazola Makama report that on Jan. 2, 2026, intercepted intelligence revealed growing concern among senior ISWAP commanders, including Jundullah and Ibn Hataf, after troops launched a surprise and “deadly” assault on the Balangaje hideout deep inside the Sambisa Forest on Jan. 1.

According to the sources, the Balangaje position described as a long-standing ISWAP enclave was completely overrun by the troops of Operation HADIN KAI, forcing surviving fighters to flee in disarray to other parts of the forest.

The commanders reportedly admitted that their forces were caught unprepared, resulting in a chaotic retreat in which many fighters were cut off and forced to escape individually, abandoning weapons, logistics and command structures.

More critically, the terrorists expressed concern over the fate of several senior commanders who have remained unaccounted for since the assault, raising strong indications of leadership casualties or severe command-and-control breakdown.

Security sources confirmed that the ground assault on Balangaje was launched by forces of 21 Armored Brigade operating in Nguro Soye in Bama Local Government Area.

Zagazola report that this ground success was decisively reinforced by precision air operations conducted under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), marking what one source described as a “welcome to 2026” for insurgent groups operating in the North-East.

On Jan. 1, following authorisation by OPHK, air assets engaged multiple high-value terrorist targets across Sambisa, Gava and the wider OPHK Area of Responsibility.

At about 0027 hours, an armed aircraft code-named Dragon, carried out a precision strike on a building with solar panels at Chiralia, identified as a terrorist logistics and command facility. Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) confirmed the structure was engulfed in flames, with secondary explosions suggesting the presence of stored fuel, explosives or logistics caches.

Further ISR operations tracked suspected Boko Haram Terrorists converging between rocky outcrops in the Gava axis. At approximately 0035 hours on Jan. 2, a precision strike was authorised and executed on the identified coordinates, with Battle Damaged Assessment confirming that about 11 suspected terrorists were neutralised.

Minutes later, surveillance assets observed about 10 additional terrorists fleeing the Gava settlements in panic after hearing the explosions. Continuous tracking revealed another convergence of about eight fighters under a tree, prompting a second precision strike at about 0114 hours.

BDA from the second engagement indicated that the eight terrorists were neutralised, while others fled in different directions. A secondary explosion was again observed near the strike point, reinforcing assessments that the location served as a weapons or logistics cache.

In a related operation, ISR assets identified a large concealed structure covered by trees and fitted with materials suspected to be solar panels, alongside a smaller adjoining building. Following clearance, the larger structure was engaged at about 0229 hours on Jan. 2, with BDA confirming its complete destruction.

Security analysts say the cumulative impact of these strikes has been profound. Beyond the immediate neutralisation of fighters, the operations degraded ISWAP’s logistics, energy supply, shelter and command infrastructure, while also exposing vulnerabilities in what had been considered secure forest hideouts.

The fact that ISWAP commanders are openly worried about missing senior leaders is significant. It points to either high-value casualties or a breakdown in their internal communication, both of which weaken their operational effectiveness.

The Sambisa Forest, once the symbolic and operational heartland of Boko Haram factions, has increasingly become a contested battlespace, with sustained intelligence-driven operations denying terrorists the freedom to regroup or reorganise.

The latest operations also illustrated the growing synergy between ground surface forces and air assets, particularly ISR-enabled precision strikes that exploit real-time intelligence to devastating effect.

The loss of Balangaje and the destruction of multiple hideouts across Chiralia, Gava and IRONS GATE axes further compress ISWAP fighters into smaller, more exposed pockets, increasing the likelihood of defections, internal fragmentation and further leadership losses.

As of press time, operations across the Sambisa Forest were ongoing.

The latest successes reaffirm the momentum of Operation Hadin Kai and suggest that insurgent groups entering 2026 are doing so under sustained pressure, shrinking space and growing internal anxiety over survival.

Multiple terrorists neutralised in Sambisa as coordinated strikes unsettle ISWAP commanders

News

Gunmen abduct village head in Kwara, wife injured

Published

12 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Gunmen abduct village head in Kwara, wife injured

By: Zagazola Makama

Gunmen have abducted the village head of Afin community in Babanla area of Kwara State, injuring his wife during the attack.

Security sources said the incident occurred at about 10:00 a.m. on Jan. 2, when the assailants invaded Afin Village via Babanla, firing sporadically to scare residents.

The sources said the attackers whisked away the village head, Oba Simeon Olaonipekun, while his wife sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

She was rushed to the General Hospital, Omu-Aran, for medical treatment.

Following the incident, security personnel and local vigilantes were mobilised to the area to track the assailants and rescue the abducted traditional ruler.

The sources said the scene of the incident was visited as efforts continued to trail the gunmen and prevent further attacks in the area.

Investigation into the abduction, the sources added, was ongoing.

Gunmen abduct village head in Kwara, wife injured