According to local reports, one of the kidnapped students managed to escape and is now safe, while another student who was not kidnapped also fled during the incident.
Speaking at the daily noon briefing in New York, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq called for the quick release of all those kidnapped..
UNICEF expressed its condolences to the affected families, expressed its solidarity with the community and wished the injured a full recovery.
Protection call
The agency stressed that students, teachers and educational facilities must be protected from all forms of violence, in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law. He urged those responsible to be held accountable, in accordance with national and international standards.
Nigeria endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration in 2015, committing to protect the civilian character of educational facilities and ensure safe access to learning during conflict.
The Declaration, launched at the First International Conference on Safe Schools in Oslo, Norway, seeks to reduce attacks on education and safeguard learning environments around the world.
UNICEF said it continues to work closely with government partners, civil society and communities to strengthen child protection systems and promote safe and inclusive learning spaces across the country, emphasizing that stronger safeguards can help prevent future tragedies.
Abductions impede learning
Attacks on schools and kidnapping of students remain a major barrier to learning in Nigeria. A UNICEF report released last year to mark 10 years since the notorious Chibok abductions found that only 37 percent of schools in 10 states have early warning systems to detect threats, including violence and armed attacks.
The Minimum Standards for Safe Schools (MSSS) Monitoring Report revealed stark safety disparities in six core areas: school governance, violence prevention, natural hazards, conflict, everyday risks, and safe infrastructure.
The findings underscored that ensuring that all Nigerian children can learn without fear remains an urgent and unfinished task.
UNICEF reiterated that education is a fundamental right and insisted that protecting children, teachers and school infrastructure must remain a national and global priority.