Teachers across Nigeria are raising fresh concerns over growing insecurity in schools, warning that the profession is becoming increasingly dangerous.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has cautioned that educators may be forced to withdraw their services if attacks on schools continue unchecked.
The union says the safety of teachers and students can no longer be taken for granted, especially in parts of northern Nigeria where banditry, kidnappings and violent attacks have disrupted learning.
According to the NUT, teaching under constant fear is no longer acceptable.
The National President of the NUT, Titus Amba, issued the warning while speaking with journalists after the 8th quadrennial delegates’ conference of the Jigawa State chapter of the union. The event took place on Thursday at the Manpower Development Institute in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital.
Amba expressed deep concern over repeated attacks on schools and education workers. He said the pattern of violence shows that schools have become soft targets, with little protection for those working and learning in them.
Recent incidents across several states have heightened these fears. Schoolgirls were abducted in Kebbi State, while hundreds of students were taken from schools in Niger State. Pupils were also kidnapped in Kwara State.
These attacks have forced the closure of many boarding schools in high-risk areas, leaving thousands of children out of school.
The NUT president described the situation as an attack on the education system itself. He said teachers are being asked to continue their duties as if nothing has happened, despite the growing risks to their lives.
“We have seen cases where students are abducted in large numbers, and teachers are targeted, yet the system continues as if nothing serious has happened,” Amba said.
He recalled several deadly incidents involving education workers. He pointed specifically to the killing of a vice principal in Kebbi State, alongside other cases where teachers were kidnapped or attacked while on duty.
“In Kebbi, a vice principal was killed right in the line of duty. In Niger and Kwara States, hundreds of students were kidnapped, and in many parts of the country, teachers have been abducted while trying to teach our children,” he stated.
Amba stressed that teachers cannot continue to operate under such conditions. He urged federal, state and local governments to treat insecurity in schools as a national emergency rather than a routine challenge.
“We are drawing the attention of the government that if this insecurity persists, teachers will have no option but to lay down their teaching apparatus for their own safety,” he warned.
He clarified that the union is not issuing empty threats. Instead, he said the demand is based on the basic right of teachers to work without fear.
“Teaching is a noble profession, not a death sentence. Our members are ready to do their jobs, but they must first be alive to teach,” Amba added.
The NUT president called for urgent and practical steps to secure schools, particularly in rural and vulnerable communities.
He proposed stronger security presence around school premises and the use of modern technology to monitor and prevent attacks.
“We expect concrete action, not just promises. Secure the schools, protect the teachers and learners, and we will gladly continue our work in the classrooms,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Jigawa State chapter of the NUT used the occasion of the conference to elect new state executives. The new officials were sworn in shortly after the conclusion of the event.
Speaking after his emergence, the newly elected State Chairman, Comrade Shu’aibu Guri, pledged to run the union in line with its constitution.
He promised discipline, transparency and strict adherence to the union’s guiding principles.
“I will strictly abide by the constitution of the NUT, uphold discipline and ensure that our activities are conducted within the rules of the union,” Guri said.
He also assured teachers in Jigawa State that their welfare would remain a top priority under his leadership.
According to him, the union will actively engage with the government to protect the rights and interests of educators.
“Our major focus will be on the welfare of teachers and the protection of their rights. We will engage government constructively to ensure teachers get what is due to them,” he added.