…Reps want urgent action on safe schools
The member representing Uhunmwonde/Orhionmwin federal constituency of Edo state, Billy Osawaru (APC, Edo), said on Wednesday, May 8, that more than 1,680 school children have been kidnapped in Nigeria since 2014 when 276 schoolgirls were first abducted from Chibok.
Quoting reports from Safe the Children, the lawmaker said 180 school children were killed in about 70 attacks between April 2014 and December 2022 with an estimated 60 school staff kidnapped and 14 killed while 25 school buildings were reportedly destroyed during that period.
Moving a motion of urgent public importance at Wednesday’s plenary, Hon. Osawaru said the trauma and shocking experiences the kidnapped children pass through will forever be in their minds and may likely give them a phobia of going to school again.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of kidnappings and wanton destruction of lives and properties across the schools in the country since 2014 to the extent that children/students are no longer safe even in their schools, especially in places like Borno, Nasarawa, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states.
He said: “Most recently, on Thursday, 7th of March 2024, about 287 schoolchildren were kidnapped from a government-owned school in Kaduna State’s Kuriga town. Before then, on Friday, 22nd of September 2023, about 24 students of the Federal University of Gusau in Zamfara State were kidnapped by bandits.”
He said further that in Nigeria, policemen are not posted to guard most of the schools despite the level of attacks frequently experienced, adding that the police are not sufficient in manpower and equipment, hence the level of losses incurred any time such attacks occurred.
He argued that if no drastic measure is taken to curb the escalating insecurity situation in the country and in the schools, the entire school may end up being shut down due to the activities of these miscreants and hoodlums.
He said the government owes the people the responsibility of providing for their welfare and security, stressing that it is therefore incumbent on the government to fulfill its obligation to the people in this regard.
According to him, due to the directive of Mr. President and the relentless efforts of our security agencies, the school children who were victims of the March 2024 attack have long been united with their families, which is very commendable.
He said however that the trauma and shocking experiences they must have been through will forever be in their minds and may likely give them a phobia of going to school again.
He maintained that despite the efforts of Nigerian security agencies, the miscreants appear to be reinforced and have perpetuated serious chaos in most schools and have made lives extremely difficult for the majority of the school children/students and staff who now live under perpetual fear and threat to their lives.
The Edo Lawmaker also said that based on the report (Save the Children), more than 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped in Nigeria since 2014 following the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State and counting.
He said the fear of attacks has stopped many children from attending schools, saying in addition to the abductions, over 180 school children were killed and nearly 90 injured in 70 attacks between April 2014 and December 2022, with an estimated 60 school staff kidnapped and 14 killed while 25 school buildings were reportedly destroyed during that period.
He also said that majority of these attacks took place in North-West Nigeria (49 attacks), followed by North-Central Nigeria (11 attacks) etc.
Hon. Osawaru stressed that in Nigeria, the number of out-of-school children, as per the report from UNICEF, was put at 10.5 million – before the effects of the conflict, humanitarian crisis and COVID-19 pandemic were felt.” One wonders at present what the figure will be due to the effect of these numerous attacks in different schools nationwide.
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He contended that the embarrassing situation has continued adversely affecting the educational sector and the Nigerian economy in several ways, calling for an all-inclusive approach to arrest the situation.
The House therefore resolved to direct its Committees on Army, Airforce, Navy, Police Affairs, and Defence to interface with all security Chiefs to identify how best to secure our schools and proffer immediate lasting solutions to the security challenges in the country.
The House also resolved to direct schools to engage the services of Private Security outfits to complement the efforts of the security agencies in securing the schools.
It also said that religious leaders, Traditional Rulers, the National Orientation Agency, and Civil Society Organisations should be made to contribute towards value re-orientation and social re-awakening especially to the out-of-school children still living in fear.
