IAWPA Condemns Abduction of 42 School Children in Borno State, Calls for Urgent Adoption of PeaceTech Initiative

The International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA)has  strongly condemned  the reported abduction of 42 school children in Borno State.  

Speaking on behalf of the association, P.Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke stated  “We are outraged and heartbroken. In the 21st century, no child should be taken from a classroom at gunpoint. No parent should live in fear that sending a child to school could mean losing them forever. This act is a direct assault on the right to education, on human dignity, and on the future of Nigeria. Such atrocities cannot be normalized. They are a stain on our collective conscience and a failure of the systems meant to protect the most vulnerable.”

The statement stress that this Must Stop.  It also said such incident can be reduced.

The IAWPA statement said it believes that abductions, alongside other cases of communal violence, banditry, and youth-related crime reported across Nigeria, are not inevitable. They are preventable when early warning systems, community mediation, and rapid response are in place.

"This is exactly what our PeaceTech Initiative is designed to do"

The IAWPA PeaceTech is an 18-month pilot using offline-first technology, community mediation, and peace education to detect threats early and trigger mediation within 24 hours. In pilot projections, the model has the capacity to reduce communal and youth-related violent incidents by over 40% in targeted communities. 

It works on any basic phone, reaches communities with no internet, and empowers traditional rulers, youth leaders, and local authorities to act before violence escalates.

"Peace is not a dream, it is a system.” IAWPA further calls on the Federal and Borno State Governments to treat this abduction as a national emergency and ensure the safe return of all 42 children.  

It also calls Security Agencies to prioritize intelligence-driven, community-based responses that prevent repeat attacks on schools.  

 The statement emphasise the need for private sector partners, Traditional Rulers, and Civil Society to partner with IAWPA in scaling the PeaceTech Initiative across high-risk states.  

“The cost of waiting is measured in stolen childhoods. The return on investing in prevention is measured in lives saved, schools kept open, and communities kept whole. Nigeria cannot claim to be building the future while its children are being taken from it. The technology and community structures to change this exist. What is needed now is the political will and partnership to deploy them,” P.Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke added.