Teachers threaten to shutdown schools

The Secretary-General, of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Dr Mike Ene, reacting to the mass abduction in a statement, yesterday,  called on the Federal Government to ensure safe release of the students and teachers held in captivity.

He said: “In light of these recent developments, the NUT may be compelled to down tools pending when it is safe for our members to teach and guide our pupils and students without fear of abduction by these faceless enemies of educational prosperity of the Nigerian nation.”

The NUT scribe recalled the abduction of Mr Alu Paul, a head teacher with Olagua Primary School, Ohordua in Edo State, on his way to work on December 1, 2020, and released six days later.

Ene added: “In the same vein, on December 8, 2020, Mrs Gladys Belleh and Mrs Blessing Emunefe, both of whom are teachers of Ohorhe Secondary School, Effurun in Delta State, were kidnapped in their school premises by armed bandits and are yet to be released, thereby throwing both families, students and the school community into emotional and overall destabilisation.

Similarly, the night of December 11, Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, was invaded by armed bandits with reports that 333 students are yet to be accounted for as of today. This dastardly act has sent shivers through the spine of other members of the entire school community in Katsina State.

“These incidents are sad reminders of previous ugly events in Chibok and Dapchi, where Boko Haram terrorists had attacked and abducted students, creating monumental disruption of school activities and impeding our nation’s educational growth and advancement while subjecting family members and relatives to unimaginable trauma.

The recent condemnable events of bandits attack on schools, if not immediately addressed, will largely affect the 2019/2020 academic calender which has already been disrupted by the six-month long lock-down caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a union, the NUT will not fold its hands and watch enemies of educational development threaten the nation’s educational system to suffocation.

“As such, we wish to remind our government at all levels of their primary responsibility as enshrined in the constitution, which is the security of lives and property of the entire Nigerian citizens.

The NUT makes bold to demand that government must rise to these challenges and take up its responsibility to guarantee and execute this general principle and commitment of providing adequate security to all our educational institutions and the nation at large,” he said.

More students appearing from the bushes-Masari’s aide

According to Governor Masari’s aide, Maituraka, the “security agents are there working thoroughly, by now other students might’ve been found.

As I’m talking now, more students are coming out from the bushes. The solders are rescuing them.

“We would not like to have conflicting figures… but if we are a little patient, the soldiers would soon give us the actual figure. They will give us the actual information of those who have appeared.”

“Now we’ve information of over 17 ….we are hoping that by now, efforts have been intensified to rescue more.