Daredevil Bandits Reportedly Convert Classrooms to Hideouts in Northern State

• Many schools in Zamfara state have been deserted because of the presence of armed bandits who terrorise the northwest region of Nigeria
• In fact, these bandits, residents claim, force school management to give them classrooms to use as sleeping places
• However, this trend continues to work against the bandits as they become easily identifiable to the military which attacks them with airstrike

The increased activities of bandits are mounting pressure on schools to shut down to the advantage of the criminals across the northwestern region of Nigeria, part of which is Zamfara state.

Daily Trust reports that the insurgents recently forced the headmaster of a primary school in Birnin Magaji local government area of the state to close lessons for the day so that they can sleep in the classroom.

Residents of the area who spoke with journalists disclosed that the headmaster had no choice but to abruptly send the pupils home knowing the grave consequences of disobeying the bandits.

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Banditry: Facts, fallacy, future of a threatening menace in northern Nigeria

But it was gathered that scores of armed bandits have been killed in airstrikes after they took shelter in the empty classrooms in the deserted schools across Zamfara.

Moreover, there are northern schools affected by a massive lack of teachers who reject posting to rural areas due to their deplorable state of security.

The result of this is that many institutions are either abandoned or left without sufficient teachers.

Gunmen in Zamfara are terrorists not bandits, says Akeredolu

Meanwhile, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, had said the gunmen referred to as bandits in Zamfara were actually terrorists. Akeredolu said this on Tuesday, September 7 while receiving members of the governing board of the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

This was contained in a press statement seen by Legit.ng and released by the governor's spokesman, Richard Olatunde.

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Gunmen in Zamfara are terrorists not bandits, says Akeredolu

Akeredul was quoted as saying:

“Look at what is happening in Zamfara. They try to clothe it and call them bandits. They are terrorists. So, the growth in science can not be based on just your charge but the conducive environment in the country.”

Similarly, Abubakar Bagudu, the governor of Kebbi state had expressed concerns over the activities of bandits causing havoc across the country.

Source: Legit.ng