CSO warns of child protection failure as insecurity escalates
A major Civil Society Organization (CSO) has revealed alarming statistics regarding the abduction of children in Nigeria over the past decade. SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria disclosed that approximately 2,500 children have been forcibly taken across the country in the last ten years.
This shocking figure was released as global activities for the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence officially commenced.
The organization’s National Director, Eghosa Erhumwunse, issued a statement raising deep concerns over the poor protection mechanisms currently in place. Erhumwunse stressed that the safety of vulnerable children, particularly girls and those without stable parental care, faces a severe and escalating threat. What began as a crisis has now transitioned into a national emergency, impacting the entire fabric of society.
Physical abduction crisis turns streets and schools unsafe
The SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria report highlights a troubling increase in school and community abductions over the last decade. Initial records showed more than 1,680 children forcibly taken, a number recent incidents have tragically brought close to the current figure of 2,500. Erhumwunse stated unequivocally that both the streets and educational institutions are no longer safe spaces for Nigerian children. Each successful abduction is not just a heinous crime, but also a stark indictment of the nation’s failing child protection systems.
The rising risk means the nation’s youngest and most vulnerable are increasingly exposed to danger, trauma, and the disruption of their education. For children lacking parental care, the danger is even more severe, as they are less protected, less likely to be actively sought after, and often forgotten in the ensuing chaos. Such relentless attacks on children strip them of safety, continuity, hope, and cause irreparable harm to families and communities. The CSO emphasizes that a country failing to protect its children risks its future security, stability, development, and moral standing.
Digital violence emerges as a parallel threat to girls
The crisis facing Nigerian children is multifaceted and extends beyond physical kidnappings; the nation is now contending with a major issue of digital violence. Recent research cited by the organization indicates that a staggering 68.9 million Nigerians, representing nearly half of the country’s active internet users, suffer from various forms of online harm. Alarmingly, 58 per cent of these harmful online experiences are specifically targeted at women and girls.
Nigeria’s ranking as the fifth-highest cybercrime hotspot worldwide further underscores the severity of this digital threat. This form of violence includes cyberbullying, impersonation, exploitation, and abuse through manipulated images or non-consensual content. The organization notes that the combination of physical abductions and digital exploitation has a disproportionate, traumatizing effect on children without parental care. Their existing vulnerabilities are now exploited in the digital sphere, leading to grooming, identity misuse, digital sexual exploitation, and trafficking through screens.
Calls for immediate and unwavering national action
SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria has issued a forceful call for immediate, coordinated, and unwavering national actions to stem the tide of physical and digital violence. The organization demands the full enforcement of key child protection legislations across every state in the federation. These laws include the Child Rights Law, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, and the recently launched Alternative Care Guidelines.
Furthermore, the CSO urges the government to officially recognize and integrate digital violence into national security, protection, and gender-based violence reporting systems. They demand that schools be effectively secured as genuinely safe places for learning, and that online spaces receive appropriate regulation, monitoring, and real accountability for perpetrators. The organization stresses that survivors must receive comprehensive protection, while those who commit these crimes must face the full weight of justice.
The CSO is also calling on parents, religious organizations, and technology companies to collaborate actively in the fight against digital violence targeting girls. During the 16 Days of Activism campaign, SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to advocate tirelessly until every child, especially those without parental care, can live, learn, and dream in complete safety. This urgent demand highlights a critical moment for the nation to address its systemic failures in child protection.
