Over 12 million traumatised children cannot go to school under my regime, says President Muhammadu Buhari, as bandits wreak havoc across Nigeria, especially the northern region.

“There are more than 12 million children currently children traumatised and afraid of going to school, especially the girl child,” Mr Buhari said. “On the other hand, for learners currently in school, the fear and trauma created by having their fellow students and friends attacked have impacted negatively on the quality of schooling as concentration, and attention span for learning in such conditions have certainly waned.” 

The president admitted that “incessant” mass abductions of schoolchildren by bandits had forced millions of students to stay away from school for fear of being kidnapped. 

Mr Buhari, represented by his chief of staff Ibrahim Gambari, stated this at the fourth International Conference on Safe Schools Declaration held in Abuja on Monday.

His admission that schoolchildren enrolment has deteriorated under his regime came barely a week after Mr Buhari claimed insecurity is on the decline, accusing Nigerian media of reporting insecurity as increasing. 

“Incessant attacks on the country’s education system such as kidnapping, abduction of pupils/students, increased activities of insurgents and general insecurity in our schools have exacerbated many factors responsible for the growing number of out-of-school children,” the president explained. 

He further stressed his regime’s commitment to making Nigerian schools safe for both children and teachers.

Earlier in the year, the country’s information minister Lai Mohammed waved aside the rising waves of schoolchildren abduction under Mr Buhari’s regime.

In July, the UN raised the alarm over the frequent mass abduction of schoolchildren in Nigeria, describing it as disturbing. The U.S. government had earlier in the year also expressed grave concern about the ease with which bandits abduct schoolchildren.

Dozens of abducted schoolchildren remain unaccounted for under Mr Buhari’s regime even as many schools in the North remain shut down.