Tension is rising in schools across following reports that members of have begun invading school premises to remove children of foreign nationals.
Viral videos circulating online capture chaotic scenes, with pupils in uniform fleeing classrooms in fear as confrontations escalate. In one clip, a distressed child is heard crying while a woman, believed to be his mother, tries to reassure him, saying police officers are present and urging him not to panic.
Moments later, gunshots are heard, sending students and bystanders scrambling for safety. Although details surrounding the shooting remain unclear, the sound of gunfire has intensified concerns about the safety of children caught in the unrest.
The incidents signal a worrying escalation of xenophobic tensions in the country, with violence now spreading into schools—spaces previously considered safe. Until now, such confrontations had largely been confined to markets and residential areas.
The situation comes amid a broader wave of anti-immigrant violence. In , an Ethiopian national was recently shot dead in what authorities suspect was a targeted attack. The victim was killed at close range at a busy intersection, in an incident captured on CCTV, showing the gunman approaching and opening fire before walking away without attempting a robbery.
The confirmed the killing and said investigations are ongoing, with no arrests made so far.
In another incident, a Nigerian trader was threatened by a group of protesters during an anti-immigrant demonstration. Despite explaining that he had lived and worked in the country for years to support his family, the group insisted that foreigners must leave, declaring their intention to “fix” the country.
Police authorities have since condemned the growing pattern of harassment and violence against foreign nationals, describing such actions as unlawful and contrary to the nation’s constitutional values of dignity, equality, and human rights.
With schools now becoming targets, there are growing fears that the crisis is entering a more dangerous phase—one in which even children are no longer shielded from xenophobic attacks.
