Bandits Attacks: 936 Students Abducted from Nigerian Schools

Bandits Attacks: 936 Students Abducted from Nigerian Schools

  • In the last six months, December 2020 to June 2021, nearly 1,000 Nigerian students have been victims of abductions by bandits
  • The development is threatening the state of education in the country as some affected parents have vowed not to allow their children to go back to school
  • Nevertheless, the federal government has said it is working on ensuring the safety of students and urged state governments to also do the same

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A report by The Punch indicates that at least 936 students of secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria were abducted by suspected bandits and Boko Haram members across the country in the last six months.

Legit.ng gathers that the report specifically focused on the abductions carried out across the country between December 2020 and June 5, 2021.

Bandits Attacks in Nigeria: 936 Students Abducted from Schools in Six Months
President Buhari addressing some kidnapped students after their release by bandits. Photo credit: Femi Adesina
Source: Facebook

Within the period under focus, abductions were carried in the following places:

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1. Ohordua, Edo state

2. Effurun, Delta state

3. Kankara, Katsina state

4. Mahuta village, Katsina state

5. Kagara, Niger state

6. Jangebe, Zamfara state

7. Afaka, Kaduna state, among others

School abductions: Parents react

The Punch reported that some parents whose children have been victims of the abductions by the bandits said they would not allow their children to return to school.

One of them, Alhaji Ibrahim Bageba, whose children were among the kidnapped Jangebe schoolgirls said:

“I have decided to withdraw my children from school because of the security situation in the whole country.
“Our children are no longer at ease due to rampant cases of student abduction across the country and as such, I feel that it is better to withdraw my children so that I will have peace of mind.”

Ministry of Education speaks on school abductions

Meanwhile, the director of press, Ministry of Education, Bem Goong, has said the federal government is working hard to ensure that schools were safe.

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He urged state governments to also do the same.

Goong added that the federal government has strengthened the security of the unity schools, boasting that they are the safest in the country.

Zamfara announces plans to close schools over abductions

In another related development, the Zamfara state government has reportedly said it would close down boarding schools till the security situation improved in the state.

The state commissioner for education, Aliyu Tukur, said a committee has been constituted to look into the possibility of reopening the boarding schools that are not prone to attacks by bandits.

He said:

"We have deployed security operatives in schools that are open and we have organised workshops for school principals.”

Bandits abduct students, lecturers in Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic

Meanwhile, bandits have attacked the Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria in Kaduna state, abducting scores of students and lecturers in the institution.

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An eyewitness quoted said the gunmen invaded the school located along the Zaria-Kaduna expressway last night on Thursday, June 10.

The eyewitness said:

“The gunmen attacked the school last night. Unspecified numbers of students and lecturers were said to have been abducted.”

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Nurudeen Lawal avatar

Nurudeen Lawal (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) Nurudeen Lawal is an AFP-certified journalist with a wealth of experience spanning over 8 years. He received his B/Arts degree in Literature-in-English from OAU. Lawal is the Head of the Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng, where he applies his expertise to provide incisive coverage of events. He was named the Political Desk Head of the Year (Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award 2023). He is also a certified fact-checker (Dubawa fellowship, 2020). Contact him at lawal.nurudeen@corp.legit.ng or +2347057737768.