Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has said that the closure of all schools in the state was based on security advice.
He spoke yesterday before chairing the State’s Executive Council (SEC) meeting, explaining that intelligence reports indicated a potential threat of school invasions and student abductions in the state.
Mohammed said the closure of both public and private schools from primary to tertiary levels was to avert such attacks.
‘Yes, we closed our schools because the security agencies advised us to do so. They have more information than us, and even though I am the Chief Security Officer, I don’t have the personnel to act alone. They warned of possible abductions of our students, similar to incidents that have occurred in other states,’ the governor said.
According to Mohammed, the decision was proactive, not to instill fear, adding that measures were being taken to secure schools, particularly those more vulnerable to terrorists’ incursions.
‘We have closed the schools, and we will ensure that such schools are fenced, possibly before the end of this year,’ he said.
Aside from fencing, Mohammed said all schools in the state would be equipped with lights, adding that recruitment of vigilantes would run alongside the Safe School Programme outlined by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
On the killing of five policemen in Darazo Local Government Area, Mohammed clarified that it was not a banditry attack, as reported by some media outlets, but a community-related issue.
‘We had an incident in Darazo. While some reported it as banditry, it is actually a community issue. We are on ground and will handle it with the police and DSS,’ he assured.