‘Declare students’ abduction crime against humanity,’ SERAP drags Nigerian govt before ICC

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the growing cases of abduction of pupils and students in several parts of Northern Nigeria by armed groups.

SERAP, in a petition sent to Mr Karim A. A. Khan, QC, Prosecutor at the CC and dated September 4, urged the court to also probe the schools, as well as persistent failure by the Nigerian government at both the state and federal levels to end constant abduction of schoolboys and girls.

According to SERAP, the abductions amount to crimes against humanity.

The petition followed a string of abductions and closure of schools in some parts of Nigeria, including the recent closure of schools in Zamfara State after scores of students were abducted by gunmen from a state-run high school in Maradun district.

In the petition dated 4 September 2021 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “Depriving children their right to education has severe consequences; for their ability to access their fundamental rights. The severe and lifelong harms that result from depriving children the right to education satisfy the gravity of harm threshold under the Rome Statute.”

“Investigating and declaring cases of abduction of Nigerian students and also closure of schools; as well as the failure by the Nigerian authorities; to provide safe and enabling learning environments; as crimes against humanity would help to combat impunity; deter future human rights abuses; and also improve access of the children to education.

“Persistent and discriminatory denial of education to girls is a crime against humanity. Repeated abductions; the absence of safe as well as enabling learning environments; and also the resulting closure of schools give rise to individual criminal responsibility under the Rome Statute,” SERAP petition read in parts.

In July, this year, gunmen attacked the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State, the fourth mass school kidnap in Kaduna state since December, 2020.

Bandits on July 6 attacked the school located on the outskirts of the Kaduna state capital, whisking away over 150 students.

The incident came a few weeks after some students of Federal Government College, Birnin-Yauri were also kidnapped by gunmen in Kebbi state.

On May 30, pupils were abducted from an Islamic School in Tegina, Niger State.

On March 12, bandits also abducted 39 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

In February 2021, gunmen struck the Government Secondary School in Kagara, Niger State, abducting school pupils, teachers and workers.

Also on December 11, 2020, 344 secondary schoolboys were also abducted from Kankara in Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, while he was there.

Hundreds of schoolgirls were also kidnapped in Chibok in 2014 by Boko Haram, some of whom have not been released till date.

In February 2018, 110 schoolgirls were also abducted by Boko Haram from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State. Five died in the process while others were later released, except Leah Sharibu, a Christian girl who refused to renounce her faith.

This September, gunmen kidnapped 73 students from the Government Day Secondary School in Kaya, Zamfara, the state command of the police confirmed.

Police said a large number of armed bandits invaded the Government Day Secondary School in the village of Kaya in rural Zamfara state at 11:22 am.

“The command … has deployed search and rescue team that was mandated to work in synergy with the military to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students,” Zamfara police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said in the statement.

Armed gangs seeking ransoms have kidnapped more than 1,100 pupils in more than a dozen attacks on schools or colleges across North West since December 2020, adopting a tactic first used by Islamist insurgents in the North East.