• Adamawa promises protection of students, institutions
Nigeria has been ranked fourth among countries with the highest levels of “grave violations” against school children in armed conflict, according to a United Nations report.
UN Secretary-General’s 2024 report on children and armed conflict, released in 2025, revealed that it verified 41,370 attacks – the highest number of grave violations against children – in nearly three decades.
The violations, which include abduction, recruitment, and sexual violence, placed Nigeria behind Israel (and the occupied Palestinian territory), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Somalia.
According to the report, Israel recorded 8,554 cases of grave violations in 2024, followed by 4,043 in DRC, 2,568 in Somalia, 2,436 in Nigeria, and 2,269 in Haiti.
While non-state armed groups were linked to half of the attacks, the report noted that government forces were the main perpetrators of killings, maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals, as well as the denial of humanitarian access.
It further disclosed that attacks on schools surged globally by 44 per cent between 2022 and 2023, while the use of schools for military purposes rose by 20 per cent. Over 10,000 students and teachers were either killed, abducted, arrested, or injured during this period.
“These violations threaten not only individual lives, but the future of entire communities,” the report said.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, warned that children caught in conflicts are being “robbed of their childhood” as governments and armed groups persist in violating international laws.
The report also revealed that more than 3,000 children were detained for alleged involvement with armed groups, an increase from the previous year. Gamba urged governments to treat these children primarily as victims and explore alternatives to detention.It recommended full implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, calling on countries to strengthen resilient education systems.
HOWEVER, the Adamawa State government has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding schools from attacks and ensuring that every child has access to safe and quality education.
The Deputy Governor, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, made the declaration during an advocacy road walk, organised by the Education in Emergencies Working Group to mark the International Day for the Protection of Education from Attack.
Addressing the participants, Farauta emphasised that the government would not tolerate any form of disruption to education in the state. She stated that the administration is determined to ensure no child is left behind, regardless of the challenges facing the sector.
“The protection of education is a shared responsibility, and we are working closely with stakeholders to revamp the education system. This includes the construction of new schools and the renovation of existing ones to create a more conducive learning environment,” Farauta said.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Umar Garba Pella, decried the destruction of schools by insurgents and called on parents to support the educational rights of their children.
He described the celebration as a symbolic victory over those who seek to undermine the value of education through violence and fear.
