In a hauntingly familiar narrative, 315 Nigerian schoolgirls have been forcibly taken at gunpoint from their school by armed insurgents. Based on past abductions like these, authorities presume the girls were taken to be held for ransom or worse, forced labor, forced conscription and forced marriage.
“Worst mass abductions the country has seen”
The latest abductions comes amidst a surge of attacks by armed groups in Nigeria recently. Tragically, the number of girls taken this time surpasses the number taken as part of the infamous Chibok abduction in 2014. Even worse, the mass abduction was the third this week and international attention to the crisis has waned. Meanwhile the focus of campaigners and politicians in the US is on religion, alleging Islamist militants are systematically targeting Christians. However, the Nigerian government dismisses their claim.
Calling it “a gross misrepresentation of reality”, The BBC reports a government official said:
Terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology – Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike.
Indeed, while this most recent group of abducted girls are Christian, organizations monitoring violence also dispute a religious view of the abductions. Instead pointing to the fact that most of the victims of these groups are Muslim. That’s because most of the attacks and abductions take place in the majority Muslim north of the country. In this distraction, the real tragedy is being lost. Regardless of their faith, no one should fear abduction or be forced to marry or work against their will, least of all children at school.
Creating a “lost generation” of children
For over a decade Jihadist groups have been battling the Nigerian government. And for over a decade it’s been fueling anger, rising insecurity and fear. That’s why citizens are asking for stronger action from the government, demanding they do more to protect children and communities.
Joanne Mariner, Acting Director of Crisis Response at Amnesty International said:
“The past decade of bitter conflict between Nigeria’s military and Boko Haram has been an assault on childhood itself in Northeast Nigeria. The Nigerian authorities risk creating a lost generation unless they urgently address how the war has targeted and traumatized thousands of children,”
Subsequently, Amnesty International warns that the failures of the government to address the abductions are creating a “lost generation” of children. That’s because it isn’t just girls and young women being affected. Boys and young men are also being abducted and trapped in forced labor, compelled to become soldiers. Sadly, it’s clear that protecting and supporting these traumatized children has not been treated as a priority by the Nigerian government.
In addition, when children do manage to escape Boko Haram, the government’s response actually makes things worse. Children report being unlawfully detained in conditions described as horrifying. And when it comes to supporting liberated children with things like education, healthcare, food and water, or trauma counseling, the government provides little to nothing. Freedom United stands beside Nigerians in demanding their government urgently do more to support survivors and find victims. Further, It’s time government and community groups work together and step up efforts to stop children from being abducted in the first place.
*Freedom United is a global community that unites individuals and organizations in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, registered in the U.S. as a nonprofit.
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