No fewer than 70 teachers have lost their lives to violence perpetrated by suspected Boko Haram members in Northern Nigeria in the last nine months, the Amnesty International has said.

The AI also declared that the sect members reportedly killed hundreds of pupils within the period.

The group, which stated this in a fresh report entitled “Education under attack in Nigeria” on Thursday, also said that more than 50 schools had been burnt and 60 others shut in the region.

The report assessed attacks on schools in Northern Nigeria between 2012 and 2013.

AI’s Deputy Africa Director, Lucy Freeman said, “Hundreds have been killed in these horrific attacks. Thousands of children have been forced out of schools across communities in Northern Nigeria and many teachers have been forced to flee for their safety.

“Attacks against schoolchildren, teachers and school buildings demonstrate an absolute disregard for the right to life and the right to education.”

Last week, members of the sect reportedly killed over 50 students of a College of Agriculture in Yobe State.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Teachers on Thursday in Abuja asked the National Assembly not to remove the teachers’ emoluments from the Federal Government portfolio.

The NUT explained that doing so in the planned constitution amendment would return basic education to the dark ages where teachers would not receive salaries for many years.

The Deputy President of NUT, Nelson Onem stated this at a briefing addressed by the Supervisory Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, to herald the World Teachers Day scheduled for October 5