The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has warned that it may withdraw all teachers from classrooms across the country if the Federal Government fails to urgently halt the escalating cases of school abductions and killings.
The union condemned the most recent attacks in Kebbi and Niger states, describing the worsening insecurity as a national crisis that poses a severe threat to Nigeria’s entire education sector.
Speaking on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC), NUT President Comrade Audu Amba expressed deep anger over the killing of a vice principal and a security guard, alongside the shocking mass kidnappings. The incidents include the abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, and the kidnapping of over 300 pupils and 12 staff members from St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, Niger State.
Calling the assaults “barbaric and unacceptable,” Amba urged the Federal Government to act immediately to prevent what he described as a looming collapse of the education system.
The union recounted the disturbing pattern of school abductions over the last decade, citing major tragedies such as the Chibok girls’ kidnapping in 2014, the Dapchi abduction in 2018, the attacks on Kaduna Forestry College and GSS Jangebe in 2021, and the kidnapping of 287 pupils in Kuriga, Kaduna State, in 2024.
Amba insisted that these persistent attacks go beyond targeting schools, noting that they represent a direct assault on the nation’s educational foundation and its long-term development.
With many schools already shut down in highly affected regions, the NUT raised alarm over the millions of children whose education and future prospects are now at risk. The union also criticised the Federal Government for failing to fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration, which Nigeria has endorsed. It noted that the Senate recently ordered an inquiry into the utilisation of the Safe School Fund.
The union demanded more aggressive rescue efforts, immediate tightening of security around vulnerable schools, and swift prosecution of those responsible for the attacks. It stressed that education remains the backbone of national progress and that teachers play a central role in delivering quality learning.
Amba warned that if the current wave of violence persists, the NUT will have no choice but to direct teachers nationwide to stay away from classrooms until their safety can be guaranteed.
He extended the union’s condolences to the families of victims and called on authorities to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are tracked down and brought to justice without delay.
