The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the recurring and coordinated terrorist attacks on educational institutions in Nigeria, warning of their devastating impact on local communities.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated the global body’s position in a response to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, following a wave of coordinated attacks on multiple schools over the weekend.

The UN’s reaction follows recent weekend incursions by armed groups targeting schools in Oyo State. During the coordinated assault, dozens of schoolchildren and their teachers were reportedly abducted, while two teachers were confirmed killed by the suspected terrorist groups.

“We’re, of course, very concerned. We have seen the continued attacks on children, on places of education in Nigeria by extremist groups,” Dujarric stated, emphasising the long-term psychological and social damage these actions inflict on communities.

Dujarric further disclosed that UN Secretary-General António Guterres is closely monitoring extremist activities in parts of the country, particularly in the wake of recent joint U.S.-Nigerian military airstrikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria.

To mitigate the recurring security breaches, the UN Spokesperson affirmed that the United Nations country team is actively collaborating with the Nigerian government to deploy defensive and preventative frameworks.

“The UN country team in Nigeria, in all its components, has been working with the Government in the impacted region. This is to find ways that we can support and strengthen and help make schools more safe for students, and we will continue to work in that vein,” Dujarric added.