No fewer than 936 students of secondary and tertiary institutions were abducted by suspected bandits and Boko Haram members across the country within the space of 6 months, the Punch reports.
Reports shows that the abductions were carried out across the country between December 2020 and June 5, 2021.
During the period under review, abductions were recorded in Ohordua, Edo State; Effurun, Delta State; Kankara, Kaduna State; and Mahuta village, Katsina State.
Other places where cases of abduction were recorded are Kagara, Niger State; Jangebe, Zamfara State; and Afaka, Kaduna State, among others.
The worsening security challenges have forced some states to close down boarding schools till the situation improves, state like Zamfara for example.
Aliyu Tukur, the Zamfara state Commissioner for Education, said, “A committee has been constituted to look into the possibility of reopening the boarding schools that are not prone to attacks by bandits. We have deployed security operatives in schools that are open and we have organised workshops for school principals.”
According to the Director of Press, Ministry of Education, Bem Goong, the Federal Government was working hard to ensure that schools were safe.
He urged state governments to also do the same.
Goong said, “If you go to our unity schools, you will notice the presence of security operatives. During the 2021 Common Entrance Examination monitoring exercise, the permanent secretary also added that unity schools are the safest and it is because we have deployed security operatives there.”