Society‘We’re living in fear’: 19 million Nigerian children stay out of school to avoid kidnappings

The 46 children and teachers abducted in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo state on May 15 were rescued and returned to their families on July 10. Since the dramatic kidnapping of Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, schools across Nigeria have faced repeated waves of mass abductions. Around 27% of Nigerian children are out of school, among the highest rates worldwide. The danger of kidnapping has become one of the major barriers preventing children from pursuing their education.