UN rights experts seek specialised rehabilitation for abducted schoolchildren

Fifteen independent rights experts appointed by the United Nations have urged the Federal Government to prioritise specialised rehabilitation programmes for the school children recently abducted in the country.

The call came in a joint statement they issued on the sidelines of the 46th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday.

Noting that the children had been “deeply traumatised after their release” they also urged the government to strengthen protection measures for those at risk.

The experts said that social inclusion of the affected children “requires the provision of long-term measures aimed at restoring their physical and psychological well-being.”

They underscored the need for sensitisation of families and communities to the importance of reintegration to enable them to “build renewed social relations with families and communities and to overcome stigma”.

No fewer than 500 students were kidnapped and released in Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states since December.

They include 279 school girls released on Tuesday after their abduction from the Government Girls Science Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara on Friday.

The human rights experts also said they were concerned about the “lack of an effective investigation” into the kidnap of 344 boys from their school in Kankara, Katsina, on Dec. 11.

The boys were released a few days later following a rescue operation by the military.

“There is need for an impartial, independent investigation into the abductions and specialised rehabilitation for the children after the incident.

“Due to such incidents, many children have not returned to class and some schools have already closed down in the border areas out of fear of reoccurrence.

“This may mean an end to education for these children,” they said.

Noting that the abductions were not isolated cases, the experts said they were also eagerly waiting to see action taken against kidnappers of the Jangebe schoolgirls

They added: “We are alarmed at reports that an unknown number of women and girls have been abducted in recent years, and subjected to domestic servitude, forced labour, sexual slavery through forced marriages, forced and unwanted pregnancies.

“Serious concern is expressed about the physical and psychological integrity of these individuals, who are at increased risk of exploitation, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and other forms of violence.”

They urged the Federal Government to adopt effective preventive measures to forestall a re-occurrence of the acts.

They also called for “an impartial and independent investigation without further delay”.