Nigeria orders Abuja school to shut over attack fears
By BBC Africa
Published
1 min read
Nigeria is grappling with rising attacks by gunmen, many of them targeting individuals, priests and students for ransom
The Nigerian government has shut down one of its secondary schools in the capital, Abuja, over fears of an attack by an armed gang.
In a statement on Monday, the education ministry said the closure of the Federal Government College in the suburb of Kwali was necessary because of insecurity in the area.
Kwali incorporates the villages of Sheda and Lambata on the outskirts of the city, where security breaches had recently occurred, it said.
The Federal Government College, which has some students who board, is located within Sheda village, which came under attack on Sunday by gunmen who went on to kidnap a resident.
The education minister directed the college's management to make alternative arrangements for final-year students to finish writing their exams.
He also asked principals of government schools across the country to liaise with security agencies to ensure adequate security for their students.
Nigeria is grappling with rising attacks by gunmen, many of them targeting individuals, priests and students for ransom.
In 2021, armed gangs, known locally as bandits, carried out abductions in at least 10 schools in north-western Zamfara, Kaduna, and Kebbi states as well as Niger state in central Nigeria.
