Mr. Speaker, again, all of us are appalled or shocked that 276 children were taken from their dormitory when all they wanted was an education. Education should be a basic right. We know it empowers young girls and women. We want these children home. In a wider context, it has highlighted in long-standing security problem in Nigeria.
Boko Haram is a terrorist organization and these children have been taken by a terrorist organization. We want the abductors to immediately return the girls unharmed to their communities and for those with influence on the perpetrators to do everything they can to secure the safe return of the girls and to bring the abductors to justice. These are brutal acts of violence and they are unacceptable. Attacks on schools deny children the right to learn in a safe environment and can rob them of their future. Wherever it takes place, abduction of children is a crime and illegal under international law.