By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
No fewer than seven schools in Kebbi state had been closed indefinitely following recent bandits attack on Federal Government College(FGC) Birnin Yauri which resulted to the abduction of students and teachers according to the state Chairman, National Union of Teachers (NUT), Isah Arzika sources said.
The decision followed
Schools affected by the decision, Arzika said were those sited on the front lines of vulnerable areas of the state believed to be soft target of suspected bandits attacks.
He confirmed as well assured that the frontline schools had since been shut, noting that the move was a proactivec measure to further safeguard against recurrence of FGC, Birnin Yauri’s incident.
In furtherance, Arzika said the state government had directed all school principals to close any school which they believed not safe.
” Police and vigilante groups had since been deployed for monitoring and protection of schools “, he explained.
He however pointed out that the proactive measures have the involvement of all of us as stakeholders and part of the system.
” This is because Principals are teachers, all the Directors at the Board are also teachers. It is the decision that we all took that is affecting us”, noted.
Accordingly, Arzika continued: “Government has given us an order and option to take any necessary action as far as our schools are concerned. That we can close those schools which we think are not safe and prone to attacks in the areas close to the forest.”
Arzika hithertto said ” I am not talking about only boarding schools, any school that is on the frontline areas and not safe, we would just ask the students to pack and go home, pending the time the situation normalises.”
Meanwhile, he said, “Before now, the state government had recruited large number of vigilante members to complement the police attached to some of the schools by looking over them which is a satisfactory step taken by the state government. with what the government has done.
Commenting on the recent abduction of FGC Birnin Yauri victims, Arzika urged parents to calm and seek divine intervention in calmness for peace in the area and country in general.
” All and sundry need to support security agencies with vital information for the rescue of all the abductees without been hurt”, noting that since the security agencies swung into action on the bandits, contact with the parents and relatives of the students and teachers still in captivity seized.
However, at first contact with the bandits, the NUT Chairman said no ransom was demanded but only ensured contact were made with parents of the abductees to notify that their children were with them.
“They collected the contacts of parents and teachers from the abductees and thereafter made calls to tell them that their children and people were with them but none of them asked for a kobo, they only said they wanted to establish contact that the abductees are in their custody.
“ Right now, two of our teachers have regained their freedom.Seven schools in that area have been closed and more will be closed, if we realise the situation continue to be safe for the teachers and students”, Arzika said while giving account of how the captors operated.
