Kidnapping crisis in Nigeria is costing girls an education as parents choose safety over school
A kidnapping crisis in northern Nigeria is costing girls an education as parents choose safety over school a decade since the mass abduction of 276 female students in the town of Chibok caused global outrage.
Due to the kidnapping crisis, hundreds of schools remain shut in northern states – which already had some of the country’s highest dropout rates, especially among girls in an area where they are often expected to marry young. “Families may be reluctant to send their daughters to school due to safety concerns, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and limiting opportunities for girls to pursue education and economic empowerment,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.As Nigeria grapples with high inflation, unemployment and worsening hunger and poverty, abductions have become an almost daily occurrence in recent years – with authorities seemingly powerless to stop them despite tough penalties.
According to the rights group’s findings, more than 780 children were abducted for ransom in 2021 alone. And as of 2022, more than 700 schools were closed in seven of Nigeria’s 36 states. “It has become an industry. Kidnappers know, almost for a fact now, that they will get away with it. It’s low-risk, and they know they’ll get paid,” said Cheta Nwanze, lead researcher at SBM.
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