The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned the abduction of dozens of schoolchildren in Borno and Oyo states, describing the incidents as evidence of Nigeria’s worsening security situation and criticizing what it called the Federal Government’s insensitive response to the crisis.
In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, CHRICED expressed outrage over the May 15 attacks in both states, which resulted in the abduction of 88 schoolchildren and teachers.
According to the organization, gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 39 students and seven teachers. CHRICED said reports indicated that two of the kidnapped teachers had been killed.
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The group also cited a separate incident in Borno State on the same day, where suspected Boko Haram insurgents allegedly abducted 42 schoolchildren after invading the Mussa community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.
CHRICED described the incidents as another troubling chapter in Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that parents, teachers, and communities continue to bear the burden of recurring attacks on schools.
“These tragedies mark yet another bleak chapter in Nigeria’s deepening security collapse,” the statement said.
SolaceBase reports that the organization argued that the attacks reflect a broader pattern of banditry, terrorism, and mass abductions that have increasingly targeted schools across the country, turning institutions meant for learning into vulnerable locations.
CHRICED further questioned the government’s capacity to address the security situation, expressing concern that many of the abducted victims remained in captivity weeks after the incidents.
The group also criticized the public distribution of luxury vehicles by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu during the period, describing the gesture as insensitive given the plight of families affected by the abductions.
According to CHRICED, leadership during periods of national crisis requires empathy and solidarity with victims rather than actions that could be perceived as disconnected from public suffering.
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The organization called on President Bola Tinubu to make the rescue of all abducted students an urgent priority and to implement reforms aimed at improving the country’s security architecture.
CHRICED also urged public officials to demonstrate greater sensitivity to the concerns of citizens affected by insecurity.
“Our children deserve safety. Our parents deserve peace. Our nation deserves leaders who feel the pain of the people,” the statement added.
The rights group stressed that protecting schoolchildren and ensuring safe learning environments must remain a national priority.
