Release of Tegina School Children Revealed 200 Students Still In Captivity – UNICEF
… Expresses sadness over death of a child in captivity
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has declared that the release of the 91 pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamiya School, Tegina in Niger State, has revealed that an estimated 200 Nigerian students are still be held after school abductions that have plagued Nigeria since December 2020.
This was as it described the death in captivity of six years old Hayatu Hashimu, a pupil of Salihu Tanko Islamiya School, as a tragedy and utterly unacceptable.
It however expressed relieve over the freedom from captivity of the 91 students of the School.
UNICEF said that more than 1,000 have been abducted in the attacks from December 2020 to date.
While expressing its deepest condolences to little Hayatu’s family, who it noted have just suffered the worst loss on top of the tragedy they have gone through for 88 days, UNICEF stressed that; “no family should lose a child just because it took the right decision to send that child to school”.
It said that schools should not be a target, adding that children should not be a target as education is a fundamental right of every child, saying that any attack on an educational institution is a violation of that right. UNICEF therefore reiterated its call to authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure schools are safe for all children.
These were contained in a statement on Saturday by its Communication Specialist, Samuel Kaalu, and made available to Forefront News in Abuja, in which he quoted its Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Hawkins as saying; “we rejoice with families whose children have been freed”.
Hawkins noted that the children spent 88 days in the hands of their abductors before being freed on Friday (27/08/2021) and described it as a tragedy and utterly unacceptable that one of the child died in captivity.
UNICEF also stated that it will work with partners to provide mental health, psychosocial support and counselling services to both the freed learners and their parents.
According to UNICEF; “the release of the Tegina students comes in the run-up to the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, on 9 September as Nigeria is set to host the Fourth International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration on 25-27 October 2021.
It said that the theme of the Conference is ‘Ensuring Safe Education for All: From Commitment to Practice’, adding that the Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to protect education during armed conflict, has been endorsed by 108 states – including Nigeria.
The October Conference according to UNICEF will be the first to be held in Africa and will provide an opportunity to galvanize support for, and accelerate implementation of the Declaration by bringing together governments, practitioners, and civil society to share good practice and strengthen cooperation to save lives and safeguard the right to education for all.
