By FUNMILAYO ADEYEMI

The Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted schoolchildren and teachers across the country.

The coalition also called on governments at all levels to suspend activities marking the June 12 Democracy Day celebrations if the victims were not rescued before then.

The National Moderator of CSACEFA, Peculiar Caleb, made the call at a news briefing on Monday in Abuja while reacting to recent abductions involving schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo and Borno states.

Caleb said that it was unwise for a nation to celebrate democracy while children, teachers and other citizens remained in captivity and exposed to fear, hunger and uncertainty.

According to her, June 12 should become a day of sober reflection if the abducted victims are not released before the national celebration.

The CSACEFA national moderator described attacks on schools as a sustained and dangerous pattern that had spread across several regions of the country.

‘’Schools have increasingly become targets of violence, abductions, and insecurity, with children, teachers and families bearing the consequences.

“CSACEFA condemns the attacks in the strongest terms. No child should be taken from school. No teacher should be punished for serving the nation. No parent should be afraid of sending a child to school.

“Schools must be safe havens, not terror zones. Children should find safety, learning and hope in school, not fear, violence and abduction,” she said.

She noted that every school kidnapping resulted in trauma, learning loss, schools closure, teachers’ absenteeism and the withdrawal of children from classrooms.

“Nigeria already has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally, and every attack pushes more children, especially girls and vulnerable learners away from education,” she added.

She also said that the situation could undermine Nigeria’s credibility as it prepares to co-host the 2026 Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Replenishment Campaign with Italy.

She therefore called on governments at all levels to move beyond reactive responses and adopt preventive measures aimed at protecting schools and learners.

Earlier, the Policy Advisor of CSACEFA, Odinakachi Ahanonu, said that in spite of Nigeria’s endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration and the adoption of the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools, children and teachers continued to face threats in educational institutions.

Ahanonu called for the immediate rescue of all abducted victims, enhanced school security, regular public updates on rescue efforts and psycho-social support for affected families and communities.

She also urged government to investigate and prosecute perpetrators, sponsors and collaborators involved in attacks on schools.

Similarly, the Programme Manager of CSACEFA, Mr Demian Mary-Adeleke, said the challenge was not the absence of policies but weak implementation.

He called for increased financing of school safety initiatives, including emergency preparedness, early warning systems, community protection mechanisms and safe transportation for learners.

He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among federal, state and local governments, as well as security agencies, traditional institutions and civil society organisations to safeguard schools.

“Policy without implementation remains paper. Government must move from policy announcements to funding coordinated and measurable actions,” he said.(NAN)

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