Accountability Project (SERAP)
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has
sent an open letter to the UN Security Council and its members
urging them to “urgently hold a special session on Nigeria and to
visit the country to press the authorities to end continuing
abductions of students and the increasing level of insecurity
across the country.”
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
The organization is also urging “the Council and members to
treat the failure of Nigerian authorities to prevent and prosecute
attacks on students, and to end the growing insecurity in the
country as a fundamental breach of the UN Charter and Nigeria’s
international human rights obligations.”
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
In the letter dated 26 February 2021 and signed by SERAP deputy
director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “Attacks on
schools and abductions of students are a violation of children’s
rights. Nigeria has legal obligations to ensure the immediate
release of the abducted students, teachers and family members,
provide the necessary counselling following the traumatic
experience, and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
According to SERAP, “These abductions and attacks also undermine
the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. If not urgently
prevented and combatted, such attacks may rise to the level of
threat to international peace and security. The first ‘purpose’
listed for the United Nations is to maintain international peace
and security, and to that end: to take effective collective
measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the
peace.”
The letter, read in part: “SERAP is concerned that the
government of President Muhammadu Buhari is failing to uphold its
responsibility to protect Nigerian students from increasing
abductions, and attacks on other people by armed men, and if not
urgently addressed these abductions and attacks may constitute
threat to regional peace and security, and by extension,
international peace and security.”
“Ensuring the release of the students and holding perpetrators
accountable will contribute to ending impunity. A UN Security
Council resolution would help to put pressure on the Nigerian
authorities to take urgent and concrete measures to end the
abductions of students, secure their safety and promote the
security and safety of all Nigerians.”
“The Security Council must act now to protect Nigerian students
and other citizens, if the Council is not to be accused of failing
the people of Nigeria.”
“SERAP urges the Security Council and its members to publicly
condemn these terrorist attacks, express concern about the
protection of Nigerian students and other people and communities
affected by the violations of international law and press the
authorities to put in place mechanisms for bringing those suspected
to be responsible to justice, and victims to be receive redress,
including adequate compensation and guarantee of
non-repetition.”
“According to our information, some armed men today abducted
over 300 schoolgirls at Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe
in the Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The
armed men arrived in the school around 1am with Hilux vehicles and
motorcycles and abducted the students.”
“This abduction occurred some eight days after armed men
abducted dozens of students and workers of Government Science
College in Kagara, Niger State. Last year, armed men abducted over
300 schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School in Kankara,
Katsina State. Aside from Kankara and Kagara, hundreds of secondary
school girls have also been abducted from Chibok, in Borno State;
and Dapchi in Yobe State.”
“There are continuing reports of attacks against innocent
citizens, including unlawful killings, destruction and pillage of
property by terrorists across the country. The attacks have been
fuelled by impunity that has plagued the authorities’ response to
the problem.
SERAP therefore urged the Security Council and its members to
adopt a resolution to:
- Urge Nigerian authorities to urgently take steps to ensure the
safe release of the students and workers, and to hold to account
those responsible for the attacks on Nigerian students; - Characterise the abductions of students and attacks on other
people as terrorist acts and mobilize international support for
Nigeria to combat these attacks, including for the authorities to
adopt and implement measures to tackle the causes and consequences
of these attacks and end the abductions and attacks in the
country; - Call on the UN Secretary-General to carry out a joint visit to
Nigeria with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Chairperson of
the African Union Commission, the Chairperson of the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Union
Peace and Security Council to investigate allegations of abductions
of students and attacks on other people and to better understand
their root causes and put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to
end them; - Express concern that unabated abductions of students and
attacks on other people by terrorists may ultimately contribute to
undermining the ability of the Nigerian authorities to provide
security, governance, social and economic development in the
country; - Affirm the international community’s solidarity and full
support for the victims; - Recognize that security, development and human rights are
interlinked and mutually reinforcing and are vital to an effective
and comprehensive approach to countering all forms of terrorism in
Nigeria; - Support collaboration with the African Union Peace and Security
Council to combat the threats posed by terrorists and enable both
institutions to support stability and development in Nigeria
Accountability Project (SERAP)
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has
sent an open letter to the UN Security Council and its members
urging them to “urgently hold a special session on Nigeria and to
visit the country to press the authorities to end continuing
abductions of students and the increasing level of insecurity
across the country.”
The organization is also urging “the Council and members to
treat the failure of Nigerian authorities to prevent and prosecute
attacks on students, and to end the growing insecurity in the
country as a fundamental breach of the UN Charter and Nigeria’s
international human rights obligations.”
In the letter dated 26 February 2021 and signed by SERAP deputy
director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “Attacks on
schools and abductions of students are a violation of children’s
rights. Nigeria has legal obligations to ensure the immediate
release of the abducted students, teachers and family members,
provide the necessary counselling following the traumatic
experience, and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
According to SERAP, “These abductions and attacks also undermine
the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. If not urgently
prevented and combatted, such attacks may rise to the level of
threat to international peace and security. The first ‘purpose’
listed for the United Nations is to maintain international peace
and security, and to that end: to take effective collective
measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the
peace.”
The letter, read in part: “SERAP is concerned that the
government of President Muhammadu Buhari is failing to uphold its
responsibility to protect Nigerian students from increasing
abductions, and attacks on other people by armed men, and if not
urgently addressed these abductions and attacks may constitute
threat to regional peace and security, and by extension,
international peace and security.”
“Ensuring the release of the students and holding perpetrators
accountable will contribute to ending impunity. A UN Security
Council resolution would help to put pressure on the Nigerian
authorities to take urgent and concrete measures to end the
abductions of students, secure their safety and promote the
security and safety of all Nigerians.”
“The Security Council must act now to protect Nigerian students
and other citizens, if the Council is not to be accused of failing
the people of Nigeria.”
“SERAP urges the Security Council and its members to publicly
condemn these terrorist attacks, express concern about the
protection of Nigerian students and other people and communities
affected by the violations of international law and press the
authorities to put in place mechanisms for bringing those suspected
to be responsible to justice, and victims to be receive redress,
including adequate compensation and guarantee of
non-repetition.”
“According to our information, some armed men today abducted
over 300 schoolgirls at Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe
in the Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The
armed men arrived in the school around 1am with Hilux vehicles and
motorcycles and abducted the students.”
“This abduction occurred some eight days after armed men
abducted dozens of students and workers of Government Science
College in Kagara, Niger State. Last year, armed men abducted over
300 schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School in Kankara,
Katsina State. Aside from Kankara and Kagara, hundreds of secondary
school girls have also been abducted from Chibok, in Borno State;
and Dapchi in Yobe State.”
“There are continuing reports of attacks against innocent
citizens, including unlawful killings, destruction and pillage of
property by terrorists across the country. The attacks have been
fuelled by impunity that has plagued the authorities’ response to
the problem.
SERAP therefore urged the Security Council and its members to
adopt a resolution to:
- Urge Nigerian authorities to urgently take steps to ensure the
safe release of the students and workers, and to hold to account
those responsible for the attacks on Nigerian students; - Characterise the abductions of students and attacks on other
people as terrorist acts and mobilize international support for
Nigeria to combat these attacks, including for the authorities to
adopt and implement measures to tackle the causes and consequences
of these attacks and end the abductions and attacks in the
country; - Call on the UN Secretary-General to carry out a joint visit to
Nigeria with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Chairperson of
the African Union Commission, the Chairperson of the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Union
Peace and Security Council to investigate allegations of abductions
of students and attacks on other people and to better understand
their root causes and put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to
end them; - Express concern that unabated abductions of students and
attacks on other people by terrorists may ultimately contribute to
undermining the ability of the Nigerian authorities to provide
security, governance, social and economic development in the
country; - Affirm the international community’s solidarity and full
support for the victims; - Recognize that security, development and human rights are
interlinked and mutually reinforcing and are vital to an effective
and comprehensive approach to countering all forms of terrorism in
Nigeria; - Support collaboration with the African Union Peace and Security
Council to combat the threats posed by terrorists and enable both
institutions to support stability and development in Nigeria