- * Expresses Sadness Over Death Of One Child
By Danjuma Williams (Gombe State Correspondent)
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) says it feels relieved following the release from captivity of the 91 abducted students of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina in Niger State.
UNICEF Nigeria, in a statement from its field office by its Communication Specialist, Samuel Kalu, quoted Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria as saying that, "we rejoice with families whose children have been freed".
The Tegina school children were abducted three months ago by gunmen who stormed the school. UNICEF is however saddened by the death of one of the abducted children while in captivity.
According to Peter Hawkins, the children spent 88 days in the hands of their abductors before being freed on Thursday night August 26, 2021, and described it as a tragedy and utterly unacceptable that one of the children died in captivity.
Hawkins said the deceased child, Hayatu Hashimu, was just six years old at the time of his death. He said, "We rejoice with the families whose children have been freed and express our deepest condolences to little Hayatu's family who has just suffered the worst loss on top of the tragedy they have gone through for 88 days.
“No family should lose a child just because it took the right decision to send that child to school. Schools should not be a target. Children should not be a target. Education is a fundamental right of every child and any attack on an educational institution is a violation of that right. We reiterate our call to the authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure that schools are safe for all children", the release stated.
UNICEF also said it will work with partners to provide mental health, psycho-social support, and counseling services to both the freed learners and their parents.
The release also revealed that an estimated 200 Nigerian students are believed to still be held after-school abductions that have plagued the country since December 2020. More than 1,000 have been abducted in these attacks from December 2020 to date.
It further said the release of the Tegina students comes in the run-up to the September 9 International Day to Protect Education from Attack. Nigeria is set to host the Fourth International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration on October 25-27, 2021.
The theme of the Conference is “Ensuring Safe Education for All: From Commitment to Practice”. The Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to protect education during armed conflict, has been endorsed by 108 states, including Nigeria.
The October Conference will be the first to be held in Africa and will provide an opportunity to galvanize support for, and accelerate the implementation of the Declaration by bringing together governments, practitioners, and civil society to share good practice and strengthen cooperation to save lives and safeguard the right to education for all. NNL.
