Afraid to go to School

From the Archives: World Press Photo contest 2022

Aminah Labaran (not her real name) cries at home, in Jangebe, Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, on 27 February 2021, the day after her two daughters were abducted. Gunmen, apparently from a bandit group, snatched 279 girls from dormitories in the middle of the night, at the Government Girls Secondary School in the village.

Kidnappings of students by Islamist groups and armed gangs continue to impact schools in Nigeria. These groups kidnap students to oppose Western secularism, to gain quick cash through ransoms, or to bargain for the release of imprisoned Boko Haram members. In 2014, the #BringBackOurGirls campaign led to international protests and wider discussions about this issue. However, today kidnappings continue without international media attention. According to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, more than 12 million children - girls in particular -are traumatized and fear going to school. Names of the people in the photographs have been changed for safety reasons.