ActionAid Nigeria Calls for Urgent Rescue of Abducted IDPs and Pupils, Demands End to Unnecessary Prolonged Delays

Press Statement 

For Immediate Release 

7th March 2024, Abuja: ActionAid Nigeria is appalled and outraged by the recent spate of abductions in Nigeria, including the alleged abduction of over 200 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State and the kidnapping of about a hundred pupils at LEA Primary School, Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. We vehemently condemn these brazen acts of terror on innocent civilians, which tragically mirror past atrocities such as the abductions of the Chibok and Dapchi girls. 

Andrew Mamedu, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, speaking in Abuja, said, "We call on the Kaduna and Borno State Governments and the Federal Government of Nigeria to prioritise the urgent rescue of the abducted IDPs and pupils and ensure their safe return to their families. Every passing moment without action brings us closer to a repeat of the tragic outcomes witnessed in previous abductions. It is absurd and unacceptable that over 200 Nigerians in Borno State have been kidnapped since 29th February without any decisive action being taken to rescue them, and that scores of children were abducted in Kaduna state just a few days later. We refuse to tolerate the same failures and slow progress in rescuing our abducted compatriots." 

ActionAid Nigeria demands accountability and justice for all the victims of the abductions. We urge all security agencies to learn from past mistakes and take decisive action to prevent further harm to them. In addition to the urgent rescue of all abducted individuals, there is an urgent need to prioritise the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative agreed upon by federal and state governments. Insecurity has contributed to the current 20 million children who are out of school, and the Safe Schools Initiative aims to address these challenges and ensure a safe learning environment for all children in Nigeria. 

Andrew Mamedu concluded that ‘‘AAN stands in solidarity with the families of the abductees, especially the women and children, who are enduring unimaginable suffering and uncertainty and reiterates that the federal government must push all security agencies to avoid unnecessary prolonged delays in rescuing abductees. Their lives and well-being must be the top priority of the states and federal government at this time. ActionAid Nigeria also calls upon the international community, civil society organisations, and all stakeholders to join us in advocating for the immediate and safe rescue of the abducted IDPs and kidnapped pupils.’’ 

Signed 

Andrew Mamedu 

Country Director 

#ENDs 

Editors' notes 

ActionAid Nigeria, a social justice non-governmental organisation working to eradicate poverty and all forms of injustice in Nigeria. We are an affiliate member of the ActionAid International Federation with a presence in 45 countries. AAN works in solidarity with people living in poverty and exclusion to achieve social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication towards achieving a just, equitable, and sustainable world in which every person enjoys the right to a life of dignity, freedom from poverty and all forms of oppression. 

Contact: Oluwakemi Akinremi-Segun | Communications Coordinator | ActionAid Nigeria Tel: +234 (0) 809 207 6904 | +234 (0) 812 888 8826 Email: Oluwakemi.AkinremiSe@actionaid.org | Info.nigeria@actionaid.org