Kebbi shuts 7 schools indefinitely — after students’ abduction

The Kebbi government has shut down seven schools in the state indefinitely, following an attack on Federal Government College (FGC), Birnin Yauri.

Several students and teachers were abducted by gunmen during an attack on the college on Thursday.

Speaking with NAN on Saturday, Isah Arzika, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kebbi, said the schools that were shut are in areas prone to attacks.

Arzika said the state government had directed the union to take any further action necessary to prevent the abduction of more students.

“On these proactive measures, as you all know, we are part of the system, because principals are teachers; all the directors at the board are also teachers,” the NUT chairman said.

“Government has given us an order and option to take any necessary action as far as our schools are concerned.

“We can close those schools which we think are not safe and prone to attacks in the areas close to the forest. I am not talking about only boarding schools; any school that is on the frontline and is not safe, we would just ask the students to go home, pending the time the situation normalises.

“Before now, the state government had recruited a large number of vigilante members to look over our schools, and we are very much satisfied with what the government has done.

“Some of these schools that I am talking about have policemen attached to them. Honestly, we are satisfied with government’s actions.”

Arzika urged parents to “remain calm and continue praying to God for the restoration of peace in the area and the country at large”.

“Any parent with useful information that could lead to the rescue of the abducted children should approach the security agencies,” he added.