'We're living in fear': 19 million children in Nigeria are out of school to avoid kidnappings

What the report says

France24 Africa reported on July 21, 2026, that fear of school abductions is keeping large numbers of Nigerian children out of classrooms. The report highlighted the case of 46 children and teachers kidnapped on May 15 in Oyo state, in southwestern Nigeria, who were rescued and returned to their families on July 10.

According to the outlet, 27% of children in Nigeria are out of school, a share it described as among the highest globally. The headline cited 19 million children out of school, with insecurity — particularly the risk of kidnapping — presented as a major barrier to education. The report linked the current fears to repeated mass abductions from schools in Nigeria since the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls.

The development matters because school safety has become inseparable from access to education in parts of Nigeria. When families believe classrooms, boarding facilities or school routes are unsafe, children may be withdrawn even where education is otherwise available. That can deepen existing challenges, including poverty, regional inequality and limited educational access.

France24’s article text was brief and accompanied by a video segment; it did not provide details on who carried out the Oyo abduction, the circumstances of the rescue, or whether any ransom or arrests were involved. More broadly, Nigeria has faced insecurity from multiple armed groups and criminal networks, but responsibility for specific attacks should not be assumed without official confirmation or reporting evidence.