By Kassim Omomia, Ben Ogbemudia, David Lawani, Beatrice Gondyi and Isreal Joel, Osaigbovo Iguobaro

History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children  
–Nelson Mandela

In a period spanning seven years, over 757 students have been kidnapped from their school hostels, available statistics with ThisNigeria reveals.

While a few have been rescued, many others are still trapped, as hostages to their abductors.

Nigeria’s school children have indeed become endangered species.

This has led to the debate as to whether boarding facilities in the North should be suspended for now or not, given that many of the kidnappings happened right inside the school dormitories.

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While some of those who spoke with our correspondents called for outright closure of boarding houses in the North, others said that would send wrong signal that the country had capitulated to the insurgents.

Indeed, the Northwest and Northeast have been most hit by the ugly incident, zones that curiously produce the highest number of out-of-school children in the country.

United Nations Educational and Scientific Organisation statistics shows that over 10.5 million children were out of school in the country, making it the highest in the world.

The North-East alone is home to 60 per cent of the 10.5 million out-of-school children. Many of the pupils are from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, where Boko Haram has been waging a campaign against western education since 2009.

The spectre of schoolchildren’s kidnappings began in 2014 during the reign of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Then, 276 schoolgirls were abducted from Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram members.

Though the President Muhammadu Buhari administration rescued some of the pupils, months after taking the reins of power in 2015, the whereabouts of 112 others still remain unknown till date.

In 2014, at Dapchi, Yobe State, gunmen also attacked the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, abducting no fewer than 113 schoolgirls. Six of the girls were reportedly killed, while 107 others were later released. The fate of one of them, Leah Sharibu, is still shrouded in controversy.

Only last December, a gang of gunmen on motorcycles invaded Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State and whisked away over 300 students of the institution. The pupils were all later rescued in Zamfara State, after spending some days in the custody of their abductors.

The latest of mass abduction of school children took place at the Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State, last Wednesday, when gunmen reportedly dressed in military attire, killed a pupil and abducted 27 other students.

There has also been pockets of kidnappings in schools in the southern part of the country. For instance, in 2016, bandits raided Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos, abducting three female students. The youngsters were rescued after spending six harrowing days in the custody of kidnappers.

Besides pupils, a number of teachers and other workers have been seized by abductors in schools. In the Kagara, Niger State incident, three members of staff and their 11 family members were kidnapped alongside the students. Similarly, gunmen, in 2017, seized two principals and six students when they stormed Lagos State Model College, Epe, Lagos State.

But appraising the incidence of mass abduction in schools, stakeholders posit, that the development is not only a worrisome, but makes Nigerian children an endangered species.

A lecturer at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Prof. Agharese Osifo, who frowned on the development, canvassed the shutting of all boarding schools in the north.

Osifo said, “First, you have to be alive to go to school. Our government is not to be taken seriously. I will suggest that all boarding schools or facilities should be closed immediately, especially in the Northern part of the country. You know the history- from Chibok, Dapchi, Kankara and now to Kagara- that tells you that, these bandits target the school children for their evil act.

“Again, can you imagine the school facilities as seen in the television and newspapers. That also tells our leaders attitude to education. Can Niger State governor’s children attend school stay in that kind of hostel? Even the class rooms not to talk about the parameter fence. Everything in that school looks dilapidated. That gives easy access by the bandits to enter the school, and therefore the children are not safe. In all, government should close all boarding facilities in the Northern Nigeria schools for now.”

Another educationist, Joshua Abdullahi, agrees with Osifo. Abdullahi, who is the Vice Principal, Victory Kiddies International Academy, Karu, Nasarawa State, noted that the frequent attacks on boarding schools in the north had exposed youngsters as endangered species.

Abdullahi explained, “Boarding system around the North, especially for government-owned schools should be suspended for now until the government shows adequate response and preparedness to provide security and good infrastructure.

“However, there is the need to encourage and support private schools running boarding system. Such an assistance will help them to provide security in their schools. Even at that, as private facilities, they need to get adequate clearance from security agencies before being allowed to operate”.

But a security analyst, Mr. Ben Okezie differs with the educationists. Noting that shutting such boarding schools was defeatist, Okezie rather suggested that policemen be drafted to man such facilities.

He said, “Suspending boarding schools for security reasons in the northern region is defeatist. How can schools be shut because of criminals. They could be shut for two or three weeks, but not more than that. Every year 10,000 policemen were recruited. What is their work? They should be drafted to man the schools.

“Remember that during the Chibok incident, the then inspector-general of police gave a standing order to all Divisional Police Officers to assign officers to man all secondary schools in their areas. What happened to that directive? We have to go back to the drawing board and make things right. For instance, we need to withdraw all police men attached to VIPs and other sundry persons. If they need security, they should approach private security organisations for such a service.”

The Niger State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Dan-Azumi Kabiru, toed the line of Okezie, insisting that shutting the boarding facilities would not be the needed elixir for peace.

The NUT boss said, “I will not subscribe to the closure of boarding facilities in our schools. Security is the collective responsibility of every one of us. Instead of closing the boarding houses, I will advise the government to work in conjunction with the local councils and community leaders in providing security in our schools. Closing boarding facilities is not the solution. Rather the government should close ranks with stakeholders in providing security in our schools.”

He also urged communities, corporate organisations, individuals, old students’ association to help in providing infrastructure in schools.

Edo State Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary schools, Dr. (Mrs.) Bridget Epelle, who noted that fear had enveloped many schools, challenged the authorities to live up to their responsibilities.

The ASUSS boss said, “Government should provide perimeter fences in schools. Security personnel should be deployed in schools so that students and members of staff will stop living in perpetual fear. We are already feeling scared. This will help to check burglary and thefts in schools.

“Just last (Thursday) night, two suspected criminals broke into our school. Fortunately, they have been arrested. The government just need to stand up to their responsibilities by providing security in schools.”

The President, Association of Private Schools Owners of Nigeria (APSON) in Edo State, Bishop Godly Opukeme, called for increased police presence in schools.

The cleric said, “The Federal Government should deploy security patrol team to schools in the same manner they are protecting politicians. It should not suspend boarding schools, and if they do, it shows that the government has failed in its duty”.

For a Senior Programme Officer, Centre for Technology and Development, (CITAD), Bauchi State, Isa Garba, government should intensify security in boarding schools instead of shutting them.

Shutting the facilities, Garba said, would mean that the authorities have fallen to the antics of the bandits.

He added, “I don’t think boarding houses should be closed for now. It will not be a good idea, despite the spate of abductions in Kagara as well as other schools around the country. By closing such boarding schools, we will be helping the bandits to achieve one of their objectives.

“The key objective of insurgents and hoodlums is to instil fear in the minds of the people. If the authorities should stoop to shut the schools, it implies that the bandits have an upper hand over the government and the citizens.

“What we shall suggest is that security should be improved in and around the boarding schools. At the same time, there is a need for intensive intelligence gathering among security agencies.”

Contributing, a former Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, Chief Bankole Balogun, said the security situation in the country needs a more wholistic approach.

He said, “ Schools cannot be singled out for security in my view. We have a major failure of government in terms of security. To pick on the chaotic and dilapidated education system and physical structures such as schools, will merely be scratching the surface. Schools are meant to be the citadel of learning and should be the most convenient and comfortable place for the Nigerian child to learn and aspire to greatness.  The question really ought to be how do we tackle insecurity headlong, once and for all.

On suspension of boarding system, Balogun, who represented Edo State in the commission, noted that the idea showed that the country was under siege.

“It is sad and a disgrace that in this 21st century, we are grappling with primitive issue. It is more disturbing that youths of Northern Nigeria are being deprived quality education by their leaders and government.

“Again, why suspend any form of education when the root cause is still very much a live matter?  Is there any guarantee that these unfortunate children will be safer as day students or even in respective communities?

“It is my view that this government has failed spectacularly to protect lives and property from foreign militia and all sorts of bandits and local criminals. Nigeria is now free for all. We are under siege and so a much more fundamental and radical approach needs to be put in place.”

A Jos, Plateau State-based lawyer, Emmanuel Uduh, also ruled out the idea of shutting boarding schools in the north.

He said, “Boarding school in the north should not be suspended for now. Doing so will surely affect the academic activities of our children. Rather the government should provide adequate security in schools and make sure the students are protected.”

Another legal practitioner, Sylva Onaikhena, also faulted the current administration’s approach to fighting insecurity, challenging it to endeavour to do more.

He urged the authorities to withdraw security operatives attached politicians and other VIPs and deploy them in schools.

Onaikhena said, “Pupils are not supposed to be endangered species. We are only witnessing these ugly developments because of the insensitivity of the present federal government. This really unfortunate. Government should be alive to its responsibility.”

He similarly kicked against the closure of boarding schools in the north, noting that it fostered integration among youngsters.

He added, “Government should maintain the boarding system in schools. It is from this point that integration of being one Nigeria starts. Students from different backgrounds, ethnic, religion, social or cultural can learn from one another and they can, in doing this, know what is right or wrong”.

Meanwhile, the NUT Assistant Secretary General in Edo State, Mr. Mike Itua, declined speaking on the matter, saying, “For now, I do not want to make any comment on security for strategic reasons”.