By The Nation,Vincent Ikuomola Abuja

Copyright thenationonlineng

The latest United Nations (UN) Report has ranked Nigeria fourth among countries with the highest levels of “grave violations” against school children in armed conflict zones.

Attacks on schools in conflict zones around the world, according to the report, increased by a “staggering 44 per cent” in the past year.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres quoted the global organisation’s 2024 report on children and armed conflict, released this year in his message to mark the International Day to Protect Education, commemorated annually on September 9.

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The report’s release comes ahead of a high-level event in Geneva, Switzerland, to mark the International Day to Protect Education from Attack.

According to the UN, Nigeria is among the countries that recorded the highest numbers of grave violations, with 2,436 incidents.

The UN, according to the report, revealed that it verified 41,370 attacks — the highest number of grave violations against children in nearly three decades.

Countries with the highest numbers of grave violations were verified in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (8,554), the Democratic Republic of Congo (4,043), Somalia (2,568), Nigeria (2,436), and Haiti (2,269).

The violations include abduction, recruitment, and sexual violence.

According to the report, attacks on schools surged globally by 44 per cent between 2022 and 2023, while the use of schools for military purposes rose by 20 per cent.

Over 10,000 students and teachers were either killed, abducted, arrested, or injured during this period.