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Tag: Students

  • 30 students hospitalised as strange sickness ravages Government Girls College, Sokoto

    30 students hospitalised as strange sickness ravages Government Girls College, Sokoto

    No fewer than 30 students were discharged from hospital as result of uncertain sickness which hit the Government Girls College (GGC), Sokoto.
    Dr Abdurrahaman Dantsoho, the Director of Public Health in Sokoto state ministry of health, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday in Sokoto.
    Danstoho confirmed that the incident occurred from March 23 and the infected students were taken to the Specialist Hospital and were all treated and discharged.
    He said the ministry had commenced investigation, testing samples of water, food and other surrounding materials collected.
    According to him, no death was reported during the hospitalisation, adding that the ministry was not aware of the rumour of death as a result of the incident.
    Also speaking, the Commissioner of Science and Technology, Dr. Kulu Haruna, whose ministry oversees the school confirmed the incident, saying that the Sokoto state government has deployed 10 Medical Doctors to the school.
    “The situation was brought under control due to the quick intervention of the state government. And all the infected students have been isolated to curtail the spread of the disease,” she said.
  • Spate of abductions of students in Nigeria now funny – Wike

    Spate of abductions of students in Nigeria now funny – Wike

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has described as ‘funny’ the spate of abduction and release of schoolchildren by alleged kidnappers in the Northern part of Nigeria.

    Wike spoke during the visit of of Minister of State for Agriculture, and Rural Development, Mustapha Baba Shehuri to his office at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Monday.

    The Rivers State queried the reason behind the spate of abduction of children in succession and their release shortly afterwards.

    “I saw breaking news, another banditry in Kaduna and taking away students and teachers. The thing is becoming funny. Yesterday, you take 300, two days after, they release them. The next morning, you take another one, the next 24 hours, they’re released.

    “So, people know where they are. You take two hundred and something people in a 20 kilometres distance and nobody will know? And in the next 24 hours they’ve been released. What’s really happening?

    “Can somebody tell us the truth of what’s going on. It is becoming funny. And why is it so? It is so because we politicise the issue of security.”

    The Governor also alleged that politics has been used to deny the state access to agricultural loans offered by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    The governor decried the situation where every issue in the country including agriculture has been politicised instead of implementing such policy dispassionately to achieve the intended food security and jobs for the youths.

    “I think, I am one of those States that nobody gives loans for agriculture. I don’t know what hatred the Central Bank Governor has for us? We do not know.
    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has described as ‘funny’ the spate of abduction and release of schoolchildren by alleged kidnappers in the Northern part of Nigeria.
    “We have been hearing of ANCHOR borrower this and ANCHOR that. But when it concerns Rivers State, you will hear a lot of things.”

    Governor Wike explained that in an idle situation devoid of politics, the Central Bank of Nigeria will partner with the Rivers State government to achieve the objectives of setting up the State owned cassava processing plant.

    “Please tell the Governor of Central Bank to remember us too, that we are part of Nigeria. When we applied, they said this loan was N5 billion. We have applied for more than 1year now. They said we should bring this and bring that.

    “They said we should bring the cooperative societies and I say this where the politics comes from. If I want to eat government money, I can seat here and write cooperative societies. Previous administration took loan and said they gave it to cooperative societies of over N3billion. Who are these cooperative societies? And the money went off like that.

    “And we are telling you see the cassava processing plant that you are supposed to say we will buy into this , we will support the State government. Nothing has happened.”

    Governor Wike said even without the loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria, his administration is achieving a revolution in cassava processing that will create jobs for youths and enduring patronage for farmer folks.

    “It is not in dispute that to take the country out of where we are, agriculture is key. If we are sincere with reality that agriculture will employ a lot of our youths; give them jobs and achieve food security, then we must do it in such a way that we really mean what we say.”

    The governor said the State government will invite the Minister of Agriculture to commission the cassava processing plant. According to him, many companies have keyed in already to buy off what will be processed.

    “We have over 3000 farmers who have registered. From them, the company will buy off all their produce. We are happy with this feat.”

  • Kidnap update: 180 rescued, 30 still missing – Kaduna Government

    Kidnap update: 180 rescued, 30 still missing – Kaduna Government

    No fewer than 172 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have been rescued.

    The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.

    He said troops of the Nigerian Army in the early hours of today rescued the victims comprising 130 male students and 30 female students.

    The commissioner also noted that eight staff members of the institution were also rescued from the kidnappers.

    “Troops of the Nigerian Army immediately moved to the school and engaged the armed bandits accordingly,” he said.

    “The troops successfully rescued 180 citizens; 42 female students, eight staff and 130 male students. However, about 30 students, a mix of males and females, are yet to be accounted for.”

    According to Aruwan, some of the rescued students were injured and presently receiving medical attention at a military facility.

    Receiving the report, the commissioner noted that Governor Nasir El-Rufai “thanked the troops for their swift response and the rescue of the 180 citizens,” while wishing the injured students a speedy recovery.

    Meanwhile, a combined team of Army, Air Force, Police and DSS troops are conducting an operation to track the missing students.

    The armed bandits in large numbers had attacked the institution and kidnapped several students and staff.

    The bandits were said to have broken into the institution by breaching a perimeter fence before encroaching about 600 meters to attack the first facility.

     

    FIND BELOW THE FULL STATEMENT BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT HERE:

    180 rescued, several students missing following the attack at Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Igabi LGA

    Troops of the Nigerian Army in the early hours of today, Friday, 12th March 2021 rescued 180 citizens, many of them students, at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Igabi local government area of Kaduna State.

    The armed bandits in large numbers had attacked the institution at around 11:30 pm on Thursday and kidnapped several students and staff.

    The armed bandits broke into the institution by breaching a perimeter fence. They then encroached about 600 meters to attack the first facility.

    The Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs on receiving a distress call, alerted the 1 Division Nigerian Army and the Air Training Command of the Nigerian Air Force.

    Troops of the Nigerian Army immediately moved to the school and engaged the armed bandits accordingly.

    The troops successfully rescued 180 citizens; 42 female students, eight staff and 130 male students. However, about 30 students, a mix of males and females, are yet to be accounted for.

    Some of the rescued students were injured and presently receiving medical attention at a military facility.

    Pictures of some of the rescued persons, and the broken perimeter fence, are attached to this update.

    Receiving the report, Governor Nasir El-Rufai thanked the troops for their swift response and the rescue of the 180 citizens. He also wished the injured students a speedy recovery.

    As at the time of this update, a combined team of Army, Air Force, Police and DSS troops are conducting an operation to track the missing students.

    Citizens will be updated on emerging developments.

    Signed

    Samuel Aruwan

    Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State.

  • NDLEA raids Ebonyi varsity hostel, arrests 10 drug dealing students

    NDLEA raids Ebonyi varsity hostel, arrests 10 drug dealing students

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Ebonyi State command has advocated robust public enlightenment to stamp out drug peddling as the agency arrested ten drug dealers with some substances suspected to be Cannabis Sativa.

    The NDLEA Commandant in Ebonyi, Umar Isa Adoro, made the disclosure on Thursday while speaking to newsmen on efforts made so far to stop dealers in hard drugs from operating in the state.

    According to Adoro the suspects were arrested on march third following an operation in one of the hostels of the Ebonyi state university by officers of the anti-drug agency and called on all hands to be on deck in the fight against hard drugs in the state.

    In its continued drive to rid Nigeria of the manufacture, distribution, sales, and consumption of hard drugs, the agency carried out an operation in one of the hostel accommodations in the state university with an arrest of 10 students with an illicit substance confirmed to be cannabis Sativa.

  • Police reveal number of students kidnapped in Zamfara College

    Police reveal number of students kidnapped in Zamfara College

    Police in Zamfara has said that about three-hundred and seventeen (317) students were abducted from the Government Girls Science Secondary School Jangebe in Jangebe, Zamfara State.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the school which is located within the Talata-Mafara local government area of the state came under siege by some bandits at past midnight.

    In reaction to the development, the Zamfara Police Commissioner, CP Abutu Yaro said a joint search and rescue operation is already underway with a view to rescuing the 317 students kidnapped by the marauders.

    CP Yaro said the Force Commander Operations Hadarin Daji, Major General Aminu Bande, Brigade Commander 1 Brigade, Nigeria Army Gusau, and other state government officials led a heavily armed Re-enforcement team to Jangebe to complement the ongoing rescue operation in the locations where the students were believed to have been whisked to.

    The Commissioner while interfacing with the Principal of the school and the parents appealed to everyone to be calm as joint efforts of the police and other security agencies will surely lead to a successful rescue of the students.

  • Safeguard education: Implement the safe schools declaration – Ozioma Onyenweaku

    Safeguard education: Implement the safe schools declaration – Ozioma Onyenweaku

    By Ozioma Onyenweaku

    The Safe Schools Declaration is an international commitment that advocates support for protection of students, teachers and schools during armed conflict.

    The Safe Schools Declaration emerged from The Third International Conference on Safe Schools hosted by the government of Spain with the support of governments of Argentina and Norway held in Oslo Norway in May 2015.

    It aims at strengthening the global resolve to end attacks on students, teachers and schools by armed conflicts. By 2019, 100 Countries had signed and ratified the Declaration. Nigeria is one. As at February 18, 2021, 107 countries have endorsed the declaration.

    It was on 20th March 2019 that the President of Nigeria ratified the Safe Schools Declaration. By signing the Declaration, Nigeria made a public declaration that attacks on schools has become unacceptable to the country. And by ratifying the said Declaration, Nigeria has declared that it is bound to keep all the principles of the declaration, and ensure to put in place a national policy to guide the implementation of the Declaration nationwide to protect children from attacks in schools and ensure their education continues without hindrance at all times.

    This recent attack at the Government Science College in Kagara in Niger State of Nigeria has shown that as the insecurity in the country persists, schools and school children have remain the huge targets by these armed bandits and terrorists.

    There has been a crying need for this kind of commitment from government to safeguard education given the incessant attacks on schools and the abduction of school children in Nigeria. The Safe Schools Declaration recognizes attacks on education to include violence against educational facilities, and abduction of students and educational personnel.

    It was in 2014 that we woke up to the news that about 276 girls were abducted from their school in Chibok. About hundred of the girls were released in a Prisoner Swap deal between the abductors and the government. In this deal, five Boko Haram Commanders were released in exchange for the hundred young innocent girls. Till date the rest of the Chibok girls are still not rescued.

    In February 2014 dozens of students were reported murdered at Federal Government College, Buni Yadi in Yobe State.

    Four years after the abduction of the Chibok girls, and precisely in February 2018, about 110 school girls, ages of 11 & 19, were kidnapped from Government Girls Science & Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State. Two of the girls were found dead; while 104 were freed after the payment of ransom.

    Some other schools in Nigeria have suffered similar attacks in Lagos State, Ogun State, Zamfara State, and others.

    With the ratification of the Safe Schools Declaration by Nigeria, living up to its obligation under the Safe School Declaration would have propelled very proactive actions towards keeping the schools safe. No!; yet again on Friday December 11 2020 school boys from Government Secondary School in Kankara Katsina State were abducted. And also on 17th February 2021 in an attack on Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State, over 40 people comprising of school children, teachers and other staff and family members were abducted.

    More educational facilities are being threatened by the bandits and Boko Haram, and schools have been closed thereby depriving hundreds of thousands of Nigerian children their right to education. For fear for their lives many students and teachers in certain areas shy away from schools.

    This recent attack at the Government Science College in Kagara in Niger State of Nigeria has shown that as the insecurity in the country persists, schools and school children have remain the huge targets by these armed bandits and terrorists.

    By ratifying the Declaration, Nigeria agrees with the Safe School Declaration’s position as stated in its preamble:

    “Recognizing the right to education and the role of education in promoting understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, determined progressively to strengthen in practice the protection of civillains in armed conflict, and of children and youth in particular; committed to working together towards safe schools for all …”; and agrees among other things to:

    1. Use the guidelines and bring them into domestic policy and operational frameworks as far as possible and appropriate
    2. Investigate allegations of violations of applicable national and international law, and duly prosecute perpetrators
    3. Seek the ensure the continuation of education during armed conflict, support the re-establishment of educational facilities and where in a position to do so, provide and facilitate international cooperation and assistance to programs working to prevent or respond to attacks on education, including for the implementation of this Declaration…

    May the recent abduction of our school children awaken in our leaders the greater sense of responsibility to do the needful towards the implementation of the Safe School Declaration; to do their utmost to ensure safety at schools at all times.

    Our schools must be kept safe so we do not kill education.

  • JUST IN: Niger Governor denies release of abducted Kagara students, teachers

    JUST IN: Niger Governor denies release of abducted Kagara students, teachers

    Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello has dispelled rumour that 27 students and three teachers abducted on Wednesday morning at Government Science College, Kagara have been released.

    He said the government was in last stage of negotiations with the bandits, promising the victims would be released soon.

    Details shortly…

  • Strange sickness hits Benue school, nine students ‘paralyzed’

    Strange sickness hits Benue school, nine students ‘paralyzed’

    The Benue State Government has shut down a secondary school, Vaatia College in Makurdi, the state capital following the outbreak of a strange illness.

    At least nine students have been reported paralyzed following the outbreak of the strange illness and some have been hospitalised at Madonna Hospital, a private clinic in the state.

    The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Joseph Ngbea who confirmed the outbreak said some of the students have been discharged while few others are still hospitalised.

    “The report of the unknown disease got to me through my Director of Public Health and we went to the Teaching Hospital where three of the students were on admission and what we saw, there was no paralysis. What we saw was Parasis – weakness of the limbs.

    “Many of them were walking with a wobbling gait. We looked at the possible causes because this country is almost certified free of Poliomyelitis.

    “So, when we go there, it was confirmed that it was not Poliomyelitis. What we are looking at is ‘Golemba Syndrome’. It is a weakness that starts from the limbs upwards,” he said.

    When asked what is the likely cause, the Commissioner said the causes are multi-factorial and can be as a result of bacterial, fungal, or viral infection.

    Doctor Ngbea, however, allayed the fears of the likely spread of the disease to other schools, considering that students of the college who may have siblings at other schools have been sent back to their families as the school remains closed.

  • How we will secure abducted Niger school students, others – Defence Minister

    How we will secure abducted Niger school students, others – Defence Minister

    Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi has assured that the school children kidnapped in Niger state by armed bandits will be rescued, saying the government will adopt the same strategy it used to rescue the school children earlier kidnapped in Katsina.

    Speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the screening of Service Chiefs by the House of Representatives, Magashi said the service chiefs will swing into action immediately they are through with the screening exercise by the lawmakers and track down the kidnappers with a view to rescuing the children.

    He said “we have demonstrated our ability to take on the challenge. We have done it in Katsina; when children were kidnapped, within two days, we got them back. Hopefully, this time, we will do the same (thing) to get this these captives back. We are planning.

    “We have not got a feedback on the activities going on in Niger State. But I am confident that before the end of the day, we will be given a full brief on what is going on in Niger State”.

    While insisting that Nigerians have a responsibility to ensure there is adequate security, the Minister said “Well, is it not the responsibility of the military alone? It is the responsibility of everybody to be alert and ensure safety when necessary.

    “We shouldn’t be cowards. Sometimes the bandits come with about three rounds of ammunition and when they fire shots everybody will run. In our younger days, we stand to fight any form of aggression.

    “Why should people run away from minor, minor aggression? We should stand and face them. If these people know that the people have the competence and capability to defend themselves, they will run away.”

    The Minister however said government will ensure no Nigerian is hurt and will protect the territorial integrity of the county.

    The Minister also dismissed clamour for Nigerians to be allowed to bear arms to defend themselves, saying “It is an issue currently even in the developed country. They are still debating on whether to continue (to allow people bear arms) or stop. But I don’t advice Nigerians to bear fire arms for internal use.”

    Answering question on the merit of the nomination of the former Service Chiefs as ambassadors, he said “You should understand the efforts the service chiefs put in for this country. When they came in 2015, you could see the applause, people accepted them and they were doing this nation proud.

    “They captured virtually all the areas under the control of the terrorists and their only fault is probably because they stayed long and we know that Nigerians always don’t want people to stay long because of obvious reasons. But I think they have done their best and I believe they are capable and competent to take any other assignment.”

  • Gunmen kidnap seven students, others on Delta highway

    Gunmen kidnap seven students, others on Delta highway

    No fewer than seven persons have been reportedly kidnapped along the Sapele/Oghara axis of the East-West Road in Delta state.

    According to reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday while the victims were traveling to Warri.

    Some of the victims are said to be students of the Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara.

    Sources claim the suspected kidnappers are demanding N4 million for their release.

    The development came after release of a boutique owner, Immaculate Ojo, who was kidnapped on a failed portion in the Erho-Abraka Road, Ethiope East council area of the state, on Sunday.

    The Delta State Police Command confirmed the incident.

    Its spokesperson, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, who is a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said: “Some people were taken into the bush on their way from Sapele to Warri, or so. But it was not clear if they are students or not”.