After the killing of over 40 students at the Federal Government College Buni Yadi, Yobe State and before the closure of that school and four others by the federal government, LEADERSHIP Weekend went round to check the level of security at these schools and others.
Although the Federal Government has shut its unity schools across Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states and beefed up security around some of them, investigations by LEADERSHIP Weekend have shown that many other schools in these troubled states are virtually defenceless and at the mercy of Boko Haram insurgents who have apparently now turned to attacking soft targets like schools and remote villages. Before the announcement of its eventual closure, security was beefed up at the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe State.
Information Officer of the school, Mallam Abdullahi Sulaiman, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that soldiers have been deployed near the school. A senior member of staff of the college who does not want his name in print disclosed that there is a formal arrangement between the school management and the security operatives in order to ensure all-round security in the college.
Similarly, at the Federal Government College Jos, and the Federal Government Girls College, Langtang all in Plateau State, stern-looking security personnel were seen manning the gates to these schools.
While the state is seen as unsafe for now, it was gathered that measures have been put in place to ensure safety at the schools. The unity schools visited by LEADERSHIP Weekend were Federal Science College, Kware, Sokoto, Federal Government Girls College, Tambuwal and Federal Government College, Sokoto South. However, there were no apparent serious measures put up around the three Federal Government colleges in Taraba State when LEADERSHIP Weekend visited these schools. These are the Federal Government College, Wukari, Federal Government Girls College, Jalingo and the Federal Government Science and Technical College, Jalingo. In fact, the Federal Science and Technical College, Jalingo does not even have a perimeter fence around it and the school relies on local guards for its security.
A student of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu who does not want his name in print, said that “if our security personnel can do their best in peacekeeping missions abroad to the admiration of the international community, one wonders why they are failing to protect us within our territory now. Living here in the school without enough security is not easy. We feel that these gunmen can strike at any time because they are still in the bush. Our safety is no longer guaranteed. If government cannot do something to end the insurgency, maybe we should just stay in our homes until the security situation improves.” In Kaduna, our correspondent reports that there is no significant improvement in the security situation in and around the federal unity colleges in the state. A visit to the Federal Government College, Malali and Federal Government Girls College, Zaria revealed that both institutions are virtually defenceless. A teacher who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend on condition of anonymity lamented the situation, stressing that the school authorities have been left to face the situation all alone.
A general absence of security at state-owned schools was also observed in all these states, leaving many concerned citizens wondering if government at all levels are really concerned about the safety of young Nigerians attending these institutions.
