Why We Shut Down Public, Private Schools—Bauchi Governor

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has explained that the recent shutdown of all public and private schools in the state was due to a security alert warning of possible invasions and abductions of students.

Speaking on Wednesday before the State’s Executive Council meeting, Mohammed said the decision was taken based on intelligence reports and advice from security agencies, who warned of potential threats to schools in the state.

“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,” he said.

The governor emphasised that the move was proactive and aimed at ensuring the safety of students, adding that measures were being taken to secure schools, including fencing and lighting, as well as recruiting vigilantes under the Safe School Programme.

“We have closed the schools, and we will ensure that such schools are fenced, possibly before the end of this year,” he said.

Mohammed also clarified that a recent attack on police officers in Darazo Local Government Area was a community-related issue, not banditry, as previously reported.

“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 said.

Why We Shut Down Public, Private Schools—Bauchi Governor is first published on The Whistler Newspaper