Abducted schoolchildren’s prolonged captivity worries Borno govt

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

The Borno State government has expressed deep concern over the prolonged captivity of the children abducted since May from their schools in the southern part of the state.

Commissioner of Education, Science, Technology and innovations, Lawan Wakilbe spoke with journalists in Maiduguri yesterday during an education summit organized by the state government to review its safe school initiative, inclusive education and gender issues

Wakilbe regretted that terrorists continued to target schools despite government efforts to rebuild the education sector and make it better. He wondered why armed gangs abduct children and hold them captive.

“Naturally every responsible government will be worried. The Borno government is worried. It is a deep concern. We will continue to pray for divine intervention for the release of these children,” he said.

He said the state initially presumed attacks on schools were over, especially after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls incident that attracted global condemnation.

He noted that recent abductions at Mussa and Lassa schools in the state, however, underscored the need to do more on school safety.

He assured that the government will continue to collaborate with security agencies and development partners to strengthen safety in schools through various measures, support inclusiveness in education and gender responsiveness.

Chairman Borno State Education Trust Fund, Alhaji Grema Terab also appealed to parents and guardians not to be dismayed by the recent events.

He urged them to send them to school, assuring that government was establishing safety measures around schools in the state.

Gunmen believed to be Boko Haram invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in Askira-Uba Local Government on 15th May and abducted 42 school children, some of them as young as seven years.

The terrorists later attacked Government Secondary School Lassa, the same LGA. At least 36 students and a teacher were kidnapped. The abductees comprise 25 girls and 11 boys