HURIWA: School Abductions in Nigeria a “National Shame and Constitutional Failure,” Demands Full Government Accountability

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described the continued abduction of schoolchildren and teachers across the country as a “national shame,” warning that Nigeria is sliding into a dangerous state of normalized insecurity and governance failure.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the group condemned recent attacks in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where armed assailants reportedly invaded schools, killed victims, and abducted several persons.

HURIWA said disturbing footage allegedly showing kidnapped victims pleading for rescue underscores the depth of the crisis, adding that reports that one of the abducted teachers had been beheaded further highlights what it called a “catastrophic collapse” of state protection systems.

“This is not merely insecurity. It is a catastrophic collapse of the most basic function of the state,” the group said.

According to HURIWA, a government that cannot guarantee the safety of pupils and teachers in classrooms has “fundamentally failed in its constitutional duty” and risks losing moral legitimacy.

The group lamented what it described as a pattern of repeated school abductions, saying such incidents have now become routine headlines while official responses remain “repetitive and disconnected from reality.”

It also criticised existing school security interventions, alleging that they have failed due to poor implementation, corruption concerns, and lack of measurable results.

HURIWA further demanded full accountability from the Federal Government and affected states, insisting that authorities must disclose all funds, grants, and donor-supported interventions deployed for school safety over the years.

“Nigerians cannot continue to witness mass abductions while billions allegedly allocated for protection vanish into opaque bureaucratic channels with no visible impact on ground security,” the statement added.

The group also raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s border security architecture, describing it as dangerously porous and incapable of preventing the influx of arms and criminal elements.

It recalled its past warnings advocating a comprehensive border security strategy, including fencing vulnerable land borders and deploying advanced surveillance systems, arguing that failure to act has worsened insecurity nationwide.

HURIWA demanded urgent clarification from the Federal Government on the operational status of its border security strategy, insisting that Nigerians deserve “facts, not propaganda; results, not press briefings; protection, not excuses.”

The organisation warned that the continued inability to secure schools, communities, and borders represents a breach of the social contract between the state and citizens.

It called for immediate and concrete action, urging the Federal Government to publicly disclose within 24 hours verifiable steps being taken to halt mass abductions and secure the release of victims.

“Nigeria cannot survive on denial, delay, and deception while its children are hunted in classrooms,” the statement warned.