Terrorist Attacks: Northeast State Plans To Build Schools Near Security Formations

The government of Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria is planning to site schools with large capacity buildings in a location close to security forces. Inuwa Yahaya, Governor of Gombe State disclosed this on Monday, July 12, 2021.

The governor who spoke to journalists in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital after a meeting with Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to the President, said that the move was  a proactive one, taken after a kidnap vulnerability assessment was conducted by his government.

“We did a vulnerability assessment of all the schools and we assigned the local security personnel; vigilante, to work with the conventional organized security in order to safeguard our schools against attacks,” he said.

The governor stated that the motive behind the strategic positioning of the schools was to ensure ‘peace.’

“Above all, what we did for wider security is reflected in the schools and we concentrated our effort in building big schools that will contain greater numbers, to reduce the chances, such that wherever students or pupils are exposed to such risks, we brought them closer to the main security agencies, so as to have peace and tranquility,” Yahaya said.

The governor equally stated that the initiative to position the schools close to security formations have brought a level of calm and safety to the state, adding that the existing collaboration with stakeholders in the state has helped reduce the level of insecurity in the state.

He emphasised that the location of Gombe State has caused it a great deal of problems in the past but maintained that continuous efforts and proactive measures have neutralised such problems.

“We are really located in the midst of the Northeast because we share a boundary with all the other five states of the zone and as a result of that, even the effect of insurgency, Boko Haram and issues to do with farmer-herder clashes have caused some security challenges in Gombe in the past,” he said.

He also highlighted the collective efforts made by the traditional rulers, community leaders and the security agencies in the state into building “a mutual understanding and good relationship between our people.” 

“I can say that compared to the rest, Gombe is relatively peaceful and we thank God for that; we are very appreciative of the cooperation and understanding of our people.”

Gombe State is located in the Northeastern part of Nigeria; a region known to be a hotbed of terrorism.

Since the abduction of Chibok girls in 2014, several school children have been abducted in states in the Northeast region, hampering basic education in the region; Several articles have been written by many in this regard.