The continued abduction of students and pupils by rampaging bandits in some North-western states has threatened education In Northern Nigeria. The unfortunate incidents are, in spite of the safe schools initiative launched by the Federal Government in 2014 to promote security and safety of students, teachers and schools in the country. The growing cases of attacks on schools, leading to abduction for ransom should be quickly stopped in order to encourage school enrollment and arrest the increasing rate of out of school children in the region.
It is evident that our schools have become the target of these bandits who are looking for opportunities to kidnap students and their teachers. The spate of abductions has led many states to shut their schools. School closures have many consequences which include disruption of academic calendar, psychological trauma and above all, withdrawal of students from school by parents.
The minister of education last week stated that the number of out of school children has increased within three months. Though the minister did not state the reason for the increase, many experts believe that it might be because of the rampant abduction of students by bandits. This phenomenon may lead to the total collapse of education in the region, unless it is fully addressed.
Although the Northern Governors Forum has been holding education summits to chart a new course for educational development, the rising cases of students’ abduction call for an emergency education summit. The summit should draw participants from security, educational, psychological, religious leaders, non-governmental organisations, community leaders and parents teachers associations (PTAs) etc. The summit should extensively discuss the negative effects of school abductions to the educational development of the region and how the disturbing trend can be tackled. The invited security experts such as DSS, police, military and paramilitary should help the region with security tips on how to secure our schools against the notorious bandits. They should also advise our governors on how best to negotiate with these bandits.
Our religious and community leaders should also come up with a blueprint aimed at salvaging the education of the region. They should suggest the need for massive recruitment of local vigilantes who understand their terrains better than our conventional security outfits and can be deployed to schools. The success of the civilian joint task force (JTF) in Borno state is a pointer. The PTAs and NGOs could also offer useful advice on how to confront the increasing cases of students’ abductions.
The outcome of the emergency summit should be quickly adopted and implemented. The outcome should not be kept in shelves like previous ones. The North is desperately looking for some magic solution to tame the growing cases of students’ abduction.
The time to rescue northern education is now.
Mustapha, writes from Pambegua, Kaduna State
