The United Nations has expressed serious concern over the recurring attacks on schools in Nigeria by terrorist groups, warning that the growing insecurity is having devastating effects on children, education and affected communities.

The concern follows recent coordinated attacks on schools in Oyo State, where armed men reportedly abducted dozens of pupils and teachers during raids on schools in the state.

According to reports, two teachers were also killed during the attacks carried out by suspected terrorists.

Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the United Nations, Stéphane Dujarric, said the global body was deeply worried about the persistent targeting of schools and schoolchildren in Nigeria.

“We’re, of course, very concerned. We have seen the continued attacks on children, on places of education in Nigeria by extremist groups,” Dujarric said while responding to questions from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“As you can imagine, these have devastating impacts on the communities,” he added.

Dujarric further disclosed that the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, is closely monitoring the security situation in Nigeria, especially following recent joint military operations reportedly carried out by Nigerian and United States forces against ISIS-linked targets in parts of the country.

The UN spokesman explained that the United Nations country team in Nigeria has continued to work with the Nigerian government and relevant stakeholders to improve school safety and strengthen protection for children in vulnerable communities.

“The UN country team in Nigeria, in all its components, has been working with the Government in the impacted region,” he stated.

“This is to find ways that we can support and strengthen and help make schools more safe for students, and we will continue to work in that vein.”

The latest attacks have renewed concerns over the safety of schools across Nigeria, especially in rural communities where security challenges continue to threaten access to education.

Education advocates and humanitarian organisations have repeatedly warned that attacks on schools not only endanger lives but also discourage parents from sending children to school, worsening the country’s out-of-school crisis.

The Nigerian government has continued to intensify security operations in affected regions while also promoting initiatives aimed at improving school protection and preventing future attacks.