The Kaduna State Government has announced its decision to merge a total of 359 schools due to the increasing activities of bandits, leading to cases of abduction and kidnapping in the state.
This move aims to safeguard schools and children from attacks by bandits by relocating schools in vulnerable communities to safer locations.
Governor Uba Sani, represented by his Chief of Staff, Sani Kila, made this known during a stakeholders’ forum and the training of the Schools’ Protection Squad. The squad, launched under the Federal Government’s Safe School Initiative, is intended to secure schools, children, and teachers from all forms of attacks by bandits and terrorists.
Kila highlighted the challenges faced by the state, including battling against banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and other criminal activities. He expressed concern that these activities had disrupted socioeconomic activities in affected communities and were threatening the state’s educational revitalization program.
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Furthermore, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has called on security agencies to be proactive in addressing insecurity in the country. Speaking at the 14th Quarterly Conference of the State Directors of Security (SDS), Northwest Zone in Kano, Governor Yusuf emphasized the need for collaboration and synergy among security agencies to tackle security challenges.
He challenged security agencies to use intelligence data gathering to identify those perpetrating crimes and to uncover the sponsors behind these attacks. The conference, attended by heads of DSS in the zone, aimed to review emerging threats and strategies to address them, recognizing the evolving nature of security concerns in the country.
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The government’s decision to relocate schools and the call for proactive measures against insecurity reflect the growing concern over the safety of educational institutions and the need for comprehensive security strategies to protect citizens and educational facilities.