A coalition in the North, Voices for Inclusion and Equity for Women (VIEW), has condemned the wave of school abductions in northern Nigeria, stressing that closing schools is not a viable response to the escalating insecurity.

VIEW was reacting in the wake of recent kidnappings, including the abduction of schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, and the mass abduction of more than 300 pupils and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State and the consequent closure of unity schools in northern part of the country as well as similar decisions by at least four state governors.
The group, in a press statement dated November 22, 2025 and signed by Asmau Joda, Maryam Uwais, Mairo Mandara, Aisha Oyebode, Fatima Akilu, Kadaria Ahmed, Larai Ocheja Amusan and Ier Jonathan-Ichaver, said “families are living a nightmare no society should tolerate, and northern Nigeria is once again plunged into fear, paralysis, and grief. This is no longer insecurity but terror. This is a national failure on a scale that should shake the entire country.”
It added that instead of responding with strategy, urgency, and courage, the government is responding with decisions that reflect panic rather than protection.
VIEW criticised the closure of schools across Niger and Kebbi States, as well as the suspension of unity schools in the North, calling the measures “not security but surrender.” The group reiterated its long-standing position: children’s education should be safeguarded through protection measures, not disrupted.
VIEW pointed out the broader implications of school closures, particularly for girls, noting that the North already bears the highest burden of female illiteracy in the country. “Every shuttered classroom widens inequality; every child kept at home deepens fear and further entrenches disadvantage. This is not protection; it is abandonment,” the statement said.
The coalition urged the federal government to implement a proactive, intelligence-driven response, including rescue operations, transparent daily updates, and a serious overhaul of Nigeria’s security infrastructure. VIEW also rejected policies that punish children for the failings of the State, warning that “blanket school shutdowns erode education and embolden attackers.”
“Schools must be protected, not emptied. They must be secured and strengthened, not converted into symbols of helplessness,” VIEW said. “The children of Maga and Papiri, like those in Chibok, Dapchi, Yauri, Jangebe, and other affected communities, deserve the full force of the State’s protection.”
The coalition added that education is an imperative for all Nigerian children and that the future of the North cannot be surrendered to fear.
VIEW is a coalition active in North Central, Northeast, and Northwest Nigeria, committed to promoting equitable, inclusive, and just opportunities for women across the nation.