UNICEF Demands Immediate Release of Abducted School Girls in Nigeria

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has condemned the recent attack on the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, north-west Nigeria, where an undisclosed number of school girls were kidnapped. This is not an isolated incident, as barely a week ago, gunmen in military uniforms raided the Government Science College in Kagara, killing one student and spiriting others into a nearby forest. The attack on the school in Jangebe is particularly disturbing, with reports indicating that over 300 school girls were kidnapped. UNICEF is calling for the immediate release of the abducted girls and for the government to take steps to ensure their safe release and the safety of all other schoolchildren in Nigeria.

Key Takeaways:

• The UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Peter Hawkins, has condemned the attack on the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, describing it as a "brutal experience and a violation of children's rights".
• The exact number of school girls kidnapped in the attack is unknown, but it is estimated to be over 300.
• The attack on the school in Jangebe is the latest in a string of violent incidents targeting schools in Nigeria, including the raid on the Government Science College in Kagara where one student was killed and others were abducted.
• UNICEF is working with partners to confirm the exact number of kidnapped students and is calling on the government and all concerned to make schools safe in Nigeria.
• The agency is also urging those responsible for the attack to release the girls immediately and for the government to take steps to ensure their safe release.
• UNICEF acknowledges efforts being made by the Government of Nigeria to secure the release of kidnapped schoolchildren in Nigeria, but emphasizes the need for more to be done to protect the rights and safety of children.
• The school attack comes just over a week after a similar attack on a school for boys in Niger State.

Statistics:

• Over 300 school girls were kidnapped in the attack on the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe.
• The number of students kidnapped in the raid on the Government Science College in Kagara is unknown.
• The attack on the school in Jangebe is the latest in a string of violent incidents targeting schools in Nigeria, with more than 10 school attacks reported in the country over the past year.
• The attack comes just over a week after a similar attack on a school for boys in Niger State.

Sources:

• UNICEF (no date). "UNICEF Nigeria".
• [Source 2 is not provided in the original text, only mentioned as Daily Independent, but no date is given]