Africa-Press – Nigeria. Amid escalating insecurity and targeted abductions, the Nigerian government is being urged to declare the protection of women and vulnerable children a national security priority.
Eghosa Erhumwunse, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, made the call on Monday following a surge in kidnappings, including the recent abduction of over 300 students from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.
According to the State of Online Harms 2025 report presented by Gatefield, aside from physical harm, at least 68.9 million Nigerians who use the internet have experienced some form of gender-based harassment, online sexual abuse, cyberbullying, or other online harm.
Alarmingly, 58 percent of these harms primarily target women and girls, with Nigeria ranking as the fifth-highest cybercrime hotspot worldwide.
Erhumwunse, in a statement obtained by DAILY POST in commemoration of the 2025 16 Days of Activism, lamented that the growing insecurity has now become a national emergency, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable groups from harm.
He maintained that a country that fails to protect its children, both offline and online, risks its future security, stability, development, and moral standing.
Erhumwunse also called for the full enforcement of the Child Rights Law and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, adding that the newly launched Alternative Care Guidelines must be implemented in every state.
He said, “For over a decade, Nigeria has seen a troubling increase in school and community abductions. More than 1,680 children have been forcibly taken, and recent incidents bring that number close to 2,500.
“Each abduction is not only a crime; it shows the failure of our child protection systems. It reminds us that the nation’s youngest and most vulnerable children are increasingly at risk. For those lacking stable parental care, the danger is even greater, they are less protected, less sought after, less heard, and too often forgotten. Such attacks harm families, disrupt education, and strip children of safety, continuity, and hope.
“As a child-centered organization with decades of experience supporting those at risk of losing parental care, we call for immediate, coordinated, and unwavering national actions. The full enforcement of the Child Rights Law, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, and the newly launched Alternative Care Guidelines must happen in every state.
“Digital violence needs to be officially recognized and included in national security, protection, and gender-based violence reporting systems. Schools must be secured as safe places for learning; online spaces need regulation and monitoring with real accountability; survivors should be protected, and perpetrators must face justice,” he added.
He also asked law enforcement agencies to pursue and prosecute abductors and digital predators without delay and appealed to legislators to address legal gaps that allow technology-facilitated violence.
Erhumwunse opined that religious, traditional, and community leaders must join in the fight to break the culture of silence, encouraging all to step up as protectors, reporters, and advocates, not bystanders.
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