Terror in Kebbi: AWLA 2025 Conference calls for swift rescue of abducted students

Stanley Ihedigbo

African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) International Conference 2025, currently convening at Cotonou from 18–22 November, has issued a strong and urgent call for the immediate and unconditional release of the 25 schoolgirls abducted in Maga, Kebbi State, Nigeria.

The girls were kidnapped in the early hours of Monday, 17 November, when armed assailants attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School.

The attackers reportedly killed a staff member before seizing the students and escaping into nearby forested terrain.

The incident has once again exposed the growing vulnerability of girls in Nigeria’s conflict-affected regions and has sparked outrage across West Africa.

In a statement released today, AWLA Conference delegates condemned the abduction in the strongest terms, stressing that the tragedy must not be exploited for political gamesmanship or partisan advantage.

“We stand together with the families of these innocent children and call on all stakeholders to intervene without delay. The freedom of our girls is non-negotiable,” the statement reads, signed AWLA Conference, 2025.

The AWLA International Conference, whose 2025 theme is “From Margins to Mainstream: The African Woman in Unfettered Sustainable Development”, brings together female legal practitioners, human-rights advocates, policymakers, and civil-society leaders from across the continent.

While the event focuses on advancing the legal and socio-economic empowerment of African women, the shocking abduction cast a somber tone over proceedings and prompted an emergency resolution.

Delegates emphasized that the safety, education, and rights of African girls are foundational to Africa’s sustainable development, and that recurring school kidnappings in parts of Nigeria threaten not only individual lives but also regional stability and global progress on gender equality.

The statement calls on, Nigerian government to deploy all lawful means to secure the safe return of the abducted students.

Regional and international partners to provide intelligence, logistical, and diplomatic support where needed.

Civil society and global advocates to amplify the call for justice and protection of schoolchildren in insecure regions.

Speakers at the conference highlighted the psychological trauma experienced by survivors of past abductions and stressed the urgent need for improved security around educational institutions, especially girls’ boarding schools.

As sessions continue through 22 November, AWLA delegates are expected to develop additional recommendations on strengthening accountability, improving community protection systems, and ensuring that the rights of women and girls remain central to peace-building efforts across Africa.

The organization urged Africans and the global community “not to look away,” reiterating that every day the girls remain in captivity deepens the suffering of their families and undermines the region’s trust in public safety and justice.