North Central Nigeria shuts schools over security issue

Nigerian soldiers and police officers stand at the entrance of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Mando, Kaduna state, after a kidnap gang stormed the school shooting indiscriminately before taking at least 30 students on March 12, 2021. AFP via Getty Images)
Nigerian soldiers and police officers stand at the entrance of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Mando, Kaduna state, after a kidnap gang stormed the school shooting indiscriminately before taking at least 30 students on March 12, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

An area in Nigeria’s north central Niger state on Sunday ordered the closure of all schools due to a security issue.

According to a statement by Danjuma Suleiman Nalango, chairman of the Wushishi local government area, they received intelligence reports from security agencies that armed bandits were planning to attack Niger State Polytechnic and Government Girls Day Secondary School, both located on the outskirts of the town of Zungeru.

Nalango further added high schools, middle and primary schools, as well as technical schools in the region, were closed down, saying that the decision was taken to avoid a repeat of what happened in the Tegina region, where dozens were kidnapped from an Islamic school.

On May 30, one person was shot dead during the armed attack at the Salihu Tanko Islamic School. The attackers had released 11 abducted students because they were too young and could not walk very far.

One person was killed and 30 people were abducted in the last armed attack in Niger state on November 16.