Amnesty International has announced its collaboration with the Federal Government in the fight against attacks on schoolchildren. The organization has also observed a recent alarming increase in cases of violence against children in schools.
They have interacted with parents whose children have either lost their lives, suffered severe injuries, or faced challenging situations due to bullying from teachers and peers.
During a one-day stakeholder dialogue on ending violence against children in schools held in Abuja on Thursday, Amnesty International revealed this information.
The acting Country Director of Amnesty International, Isa Salihu, expressed the organization’s commitment to putting an end to violence against children in schools. They intend to compile the solutions and suggestions provided by stakeholders on addressing violence against children and incorporate them into a policy document.
Salihu stated, “All the ideas that will be tabled before us at the end of the meeting will be used to write policy suggestions to the Nigerian government and to meet and engage the in-coming minister of education to make sure that there is a strong policy that will protect children from violence in schools”.
“We observe that in recent years, there has been a spontaneous rise in cases of violence against children in schools. We have been in contact with parents of children who have either died, been severely injured, or were put in a very difficult situation because of bullying by teachers and peers”.
Upon careful examination of the issues at hand, we delve into the underlying causes of these incidents.
Reflecting upon three prominent cases where children tragically lost their lives in highly controversial circumstances within school premises, it becomes evident that the schools involved displayed either negligence or persisted in employing corporal punishment, a practice deemed outdated and no longer appropriate. Consequently, such practices also expose children to violence.
Expressing deep concern over the broken state of Nigeria’s justice system, the speaker passionately implored those in positions of authority to consider it their responsibility to prioritize and enhance the justice system.
He remarked, “The reason why we are not aware of the scale of the violence in schools is that many parents believe that even when they speak out or seek justice, they will not get it. That is why they don’t have confidence in the justice and criminal justice systems of this country because there is a lack of capacity of the police to conduct thorough investigations, a lack of cooperation between the police and the courts, and corruption.
“We want to also engage people in the judiciary to ensure that they give priority to the issues of children.”
Narrating her experience in an emotion-laden voice, the mother of Keren Akpagher, a 14-year-old victim of Premier Academy, who was raped by Vivienne Akpagher, revealed how her daughter was discovered to have been raped and molested, which led to her death.
Mrs. Akpagher also revealed that the autopsy result indicated that her daughter was also sodomized.
She said, “During her medication, I discovered that she was raped. I was with her when she passed. She was discovered to have been molested, raped, and sodomized in the autopsy carried out by the doctors.
“I am a victim because I have not gotten the justice that I need to survive. After all, before I survive, I must get the justice that will lead to my healing. I haven’t started. I am still fighting to understand what happened to me.
“When I was growing up my mom told me that education was everything, but I look at her in the face and say it is the least of what I think. I used to think having an education was overrated because where we get that education is no longer safe for vulnerable children.”
She advised parents to always talk to their children and look out for signs, saying that she was too trusting because parents trusted the schools so much, but the result was not palatable.
