Banditry: Analyst Decries Closing of Schools in The North
- The Federal Government's directive to close 41 secondary schools across the north over insecurity has been decried
- Omotayo Yusuf, a political analyst, condemned the growing insecurity in the northern region and explained its effect on the education sector
- The government closed the schools following the rise in bandit attacks at schools and religious places in the northern region
The Federal Government on Friday, November 21, ordered the closure of 41 federal secondary schools in high-risk areas after a mass abduction of students in Kebbi and Niger States.
This is coming amid the tension that has gripped the country when some unknown gunmen attacked and abducted 25 girls at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko district of Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
At around 4 am - 5 am on Monday, November 17, when gunmen invaded the school while firing into the air, police personnel stationed at the location engaged the intruders, but the attackers had already entered the compound and fled with the students.
Also, an unconfirmed number of worshippers have been reportedly abducted when bandits attacked a branch of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) at Oke Isegun in Eruku, a community in Kwara state, which shares a boundary with Kogi state.
Reacting to the development in an interview with Legit.ng, Omotayo Yusuf, a political commentator, decried the situation, particularly the closing of schools. His statement reads:
"The mass abduction currently happening in Nigeria, especially, or rather unfortunately, tragically happening in schools, is a terrible scene because what we have seen that has happened after is the state government, FG, announcing the closure of unity schools. States like Niger also announced the closure of schools across the state until next year, in a region that's still trying to improve child education, especially for female children.
"It is a terrible situation that the minimal development that has been recorded is being eroded because of insecurity, especially in female schools, and that's a terrible thing. At the end of the day, the box still falls on the table of the president, who is the commander in chief of the armed forces, saddled with the responsibility of protecting the sacrosanct lives of all Nigerians.
"So, it is up to hìm since he has sworn an oath of allegiance to protect Nigerians when he came into office. It is important for him to make sure that every single person's life is treated as important, starting from making sure that our intelligence, security units are taken very important, the protection of lives, especially students, more especially young girls who are trying to rewrite their stories by going to schools."
Source: Legit.ng
