Benue sets up committee to check kidnappings in schools

Benue has set up a committee to look into and forestall insecurity and kidnapping in its schools.

The committee has Col. Paul Hemba (retd), Special Adviser on Security to Gov. Samuel Ortom as chairman and the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar as alternate chairman.

The committee is to look at issue of security in schools, especially boarding schools and schools located at borders areas.

The commissioner said the Ministry of Education already compiled a comprehensive data of all primary and secondary schools students in the state.

He added that the ministry had directed the Benue State University (BSU) and other tertiary institutions to immediately update their data and forward same to it.

“We don’t have up-to-date information on tertiary institutions but we know that it is important for us to do so. We have asked BSU and other tertiary institutions to give us their latest data.

“We do not expect anything to happen in any of our schools because we have been proactive.’’

Prof. Ityavyar added that state’s security council had noted incidents of students abduction in parts of the country hence the establishment of the committee.

He said the committee was not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that boarding schools and schools located in border communities were safe.

“We are doing something to ensure we are not taken unawares but our steps will not be discussed in the media.

Three students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, were kidnapped recently but were released unhurt four days after their abduction.