Governors of the states in the Northeast have concluded plans to set up a joint task force to ensure the protection of schools in the region.
They reached the resolution on Thursday at the fourth meeting of the group in Bauchi, Bauchi state capital.
The meeting was attended by Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya, and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed. The governors of Taraba and Yobe were represented by their deputies.
The governors also supported the establishment of community police to address security challenges.
The governors’ decision came due to upsurge in mass school abductions in the Northern part of the country.
Northeast Nigeria is the epic-centre of Boko haram insurgency, and schools have been one of targets of the terrorists attacks in the region.
Between December 2020 and February 2021, over 600 students and staff of secondary schools were abducted in Katsina, Zamfara and Niger state by bandits.
In the communique made available after the meeting, the governors agreed to establish a “council on education” in efforts to reposition education in the northeast.
The council is mandated to improve quality and performance and set up a peer review mechanism.
