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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
Gombe Govt restates commitment to MSMEs growth
The Gombe State Government, on Friday engaged stakeholders in the finance sector towards easing access to credit and ensuring the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
Malam Muhammad Magaji, the state’s Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development stated this in Gombe while declaring open the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Programme, themed: “Guide to Access Credit”.
Magaji said that the meeting was aimed at creating an environment conducive for business growth by removing the bottlenecks around accessing finance.
He said that the administration of Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has prioritised the development of businesses and industries to drive economic prosperity for the state, create jobs and improve the wellbeing of residents.
Magaji who was represented by Mr Jalo Ibrahim, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development said that the state is now more deliberate in supporting small business owners to grow.
According to him, Yahaya-led administration’s commitment to MSMEs growth is to ensure inclusive growth of the economy in view of the role of such small businesses to economic transformation.
“We are engaging the financial institutions and relevant stakeholders to see how we can remove the barriers affecting access to credit to SMEs in the state.
“This is part of the current administration’s commitment to strengthening access to loan facilities that would give life to small businesses and help more youths start up businesses.
“We are very committed as a government to see to it that we provide all the needed supports to make doing business in Gombe State easy.
“Government will inject more money into the system to serve as collateral for business owners and also serve as guarantor to those who are willing to access finance,” he said.
On his part, Alhaji Nasiru Aliyu the Commissioner for Trade, Industry, and Tourism,
Gombe State restated the state government’s commitment to industrialising the state and attracting investors.
Aliyu said that Yahaya’s administration had invested a lot to boost industrial growth and turn the state into the industrial and evonomic hub of North East.
Mr Kabiru Tsoho, the SABER focal person for Gombe State said that the SABER Programme is a World-Bank project aimed at easing businesses towards accelerating the growth of the economic sector.
Tsoho said the engagement would help remove impediments to accessing finance and encouraging business growth.
“This will help improve business environment and encourage investment which would provide more opportunities for jobs to be created and for economic empowerment of women and youths,” he said.
Mr Sanusi Abdullahi, Chairman, Traders Association of Nigeria, Gombe State chapter commended the initiative by the state government and World Bank to make doing business easy.
Abdullahi said with improved access to loans, there would be more youth employment and improvement in the standard of living of residents of the state.
Gombe Govt restates commitment to MSMEs growth
Troops arrest gunrunner, recover arms, ammunition in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 3 Division of the Nigerian Army under Operation Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace (OP Enduring Peace), have arrested a suspected gunrunner and recovered arms and ammunition in Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
The operations, conducted on Thursday, were part of ongoing efforts to mop up illicit arms and ensure a peaceful yuletide season within the Joint Operations Area, military sources said.
In the early hours of the day, troops, in conjunction with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), raided a suspected criminal hideout at Gwender Village in Bokkos Local Government Area, following intelligence reports.
Although the suspects reportedly fled before the arrival of the troops, a search of the hideout led to the recovery of one fabricated AK-47 rifle with a magazine, one fabricated pistol and several rounds of ammunition of different calibres.
In a related operation, troops working with a DSS Tactical Team mounted a snap checkpoint at Mairana in Mangu Local Government Area, based on credible intelligence.
During the operation, a Fulani youth was intercepted and arrested while in possession of two boxes of ammunition containing 1,400 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
The suspect and the recovered items are currently in custody for further investigation, while troops have intensified follow-up operations to apprehend other members of the suspected criminal syndicate.
The military reiterated its commitment to sustaining pressure on criminal elements to ensure peace and security across Plateau State and the wider Joint Operations Area.
Troops arrest gunrunner, recover arms, ammunition in Plateau
Zulum disburses N1bn, trains 1,050 youths on GSM repairs
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has launched an empowerment package worth N1,000,000,000 targeting thousands of young residents, mostly GSM repairers and technicians.
The initiative targets 1,050 youths who will be trained on phone repairs and maintenance; about 3,000 other apprentices will receive cash.
Each of them will receive a complete set of modern working tools, including an 852D hot air rework station, a separating machine Kc2025, a battery booster S2025 pro, an adjustable temperature soldering iron V900c, a digital multimeter DT9205Plus and a precision screw driver set 60 in 1, to enhance their own repair businesses.
In addition to the tools, all 1,050 GSM repair trainees will receive direct cash support to serve as seed capital for their ventures.
The disbursement comprises four categories: the first group, consisting of 26 beneficiaries each receiving N1 million; the second group, 189 beneficiaries each receiving N300,000; the third group, 835 beneficiaries each receiving N100,000; and the fourth category, 3,500 apprentices, each receiving N100,000 and different calibres of working tools. The training cost is N482 million.
Speaking during the launching ceremony, Zulum said: “It gives me immense pleasure and a deep sense of fulfilment to stand before you today on this historic occasion—the official launch of the disbursement of N1 billion empowerment scheme alongside the training of operators at the GSM Market here in Maiduguri.”
The governor also recalled several initiatives by his administration on investment in human capital development.
He said, “Only recently, this administration took a bold and visionary step by sponsoring two hundred youths to study aircraft piloting and aeronautic engineering at Isaac Balami University.
“This initiative is designed to place Borno State on the global aviation map and demonstrate that, despite our challenges, we are preparing our youths for world-class opportunities. The process is almost completed.
“So far so good, about 400 Borno state indigenes are pursuing PhDs and master’s degrees abroad. In addition, 100 of our youths are currently studying Medicine and related courses in China.”
The occasion was attended by the senator representing Borno Central, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan; members of the House of Representatives; the deputy speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Engr Abdullahi Askira; commissioners and senior government officials.
Zulum disburses N1bn, trains 1,050 youths on GSM repairs
Gombe Govt restates commitment to MSMEs growth
Troops arrest gunrunner, recover arms, ammunition in Plateau
Zulum disburses N1bn, trains 1,050 youths on GSM repairs
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