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Insurgency Killed 611 Teachers, Destroyed 910 Schools In N’East -UN
The United Nations has warned against further attacks on educational institutions and students, lamenting that between 2009 and December, 2018, about 611 teachers were killed in the North-East due to the wave of insurgency in the region.
In a statement marking the first International Day to Protect Education from Attack, yesterday, the UN urged Nigeria to prioritise school safety as well as learners’ protection.
It said while 910 schools were destroyed in the region within the period, 1, 500 schools were forcefully closed, with 4.2 million children at the risk of missing out on an education.
Also, the Education in Emergencies Working Group (EiEWG) Nigeria, a platform of some Non-Governmental Organizations NGOs, UN agencies, academics, and other partners, has said attacks on education is not limited to the damage of education buildings and facilities but include attacks on key education assets – the most precious assets being school children, teachers and non-academic staff without which education cannot happen.
“Beyond physical attacks, when due to fear, a student cannot go to school because it has become a place of danger causing the desire for school to become eroded, then education has been attacked psychologically. When a girl-child is afraid to go to school because the path to school is no longer safe and secure or due to a traumatic experience or knowledge of one, education has been attacked.
“When a vulnerable boy becomes exposed to recruitment into an armed group involved in a conflict or is used as a carrier of improvised explosive devices or to manufacture, transport and plant devices as recorded between 2018 to 2019 when 57 children with 45 being girls were used and killed as human bombs, education has been attacked”, the group was quoted in the statement, yesterday.
The global body also urged states in Nigeria to incorporate building a resilient education system into their Covid-19 response plans in order to be able to withstand future shocks.
“The United Nations in Nigeria today said safeguarding education from attack is urgently needed to restore confidence in schools as places of protection for children and teachers. This is particularly pressing in light of Covid-19, which affected 46 million primary and secondary learners across Nigeria due to pandemic-related school closures.
“The protracted conflict in the north-east has had devastating impacts on education. From 2009 until December, 2018, 611 teachers were killed and 910 schools damaged or destroyed. More than 1,500 schools were forced to close and some 4.2 million children in the North-East are at risk of missing out on an education.
“Hundreds of girls have been abducted, some even from their own schools, which are meant to be safe zones. Notably, many children have been used to act as carriers of person-borne improvised explosive devices. The attacks on schools, communities and education itself are tragic consequences of a protracted conflict that has left a generation of children traumatized”, the statement noted.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this in Port Harcourt, recently during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters, where he said the arrests formed part of the operational achievements recorded by the Command between June and August 2026.
Adepoju said Atausi was arrested on August 10 by police operatives along Ada George, Port Harcourt, while dressed in military uniform and driving a Toyota Hilux painted in Army colours.
The Commissioner said investigation revealed that Atausi was not a member of the Armed Forces, adding that he was suspected to be a serial car snatcher, with three suspected stolen vehicles recovered from him.
He said the recovered vehicles included three Toyota Hilux vehicles without registration numbers and a Toyota Corona Premio with registration number BNY 380 ES, noting that the chassis and engine numbers of the vehicles had allegedly been tampered with.
Adepoju added that an axe and military accoutrements were also recovered from Atausi, as investigation continued into the circumstances surrounding the vehicles and other items recovered from him.
On the June 29 attack on police officers at Aluu Division, the Commissioner said three members of the gang allegedly responsible for the incident had been arrested by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU-AKU.
The suspects, identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, alleged gang leader; Doctor Chinedu Owhor, 42, and Kamachi Joe, 28, alleged armourer, reportedly led operatives to their hideout at Omagwa where two AK-47 rifles stolen during the attack were recovered.
Adepoju recalled that two police officers were killed during the Aluu attack, while others were wounded and one officer had his leg amputated, stressing that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fourth suspect.
On kidnapping, the Commissioner said five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate were arrested in Oyigbo Local Government Area, adding that they allegedly confessed to operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
He said two other suspects from the same network, Anele Ogbogu, 35, alleged to be the gang’s armourer, and Kenneth Eke, 38, were arrested on July 27, with one AK-47 rifle and one SMG rifle recovered.
The Commissioner further disclosed the arrest of suspects in connection with alleged firearm offences, armed robbery, cultism and one-chance robbery, with firearms, ammunition and other exhibits recovered during the operations.
Adepoju assured residents that the Command would sustain intelligence-led, proactive and community-oriented policing in collaboration with other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible information that would assist the police in combating crime across Rivers State.
By; King Onunwor
NiMet, in its weather outlook released in Abuja, envisaged sunny skies with patches of clouds over the northern region, with chances of early morning thunderstorms.
It anticipated light rains over parts of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Borno, Taraba and Adamawa states.
“Later during the afternoon or evening hours, thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains are expected over most parts of the region.
“Sunny skies with patches of cloud are anticipated over the North Central region with chances of early morning thunderstorms with light rains over parts of Kwara, Niger, Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory.
“By the afternoon or evening hours, thunderstorms with moderate rains are expected in most parts of the region,” it said.
The agency predicted cloudy skies over the southern region, with chances of light rains over parts of Oyo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states during the morning hours.
It forecast moderate rains over parts of Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states later in the day.
According to the agency, sunny skies with patches of cloud are expected over the northern region on Monday, with prospects of thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains over parts of Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states during the morning hours.
“Later in the afternoon or evening hours, thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains are expected over parts of Yobe, Jigawa, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba and Adamawa states.
“Cloudy skies with spells of sunshine are expected over the North Central region, with prospects of thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains over parts of Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory during the morning hours.
“By the afternoon or evening hours, sunny skies with a few patches of clouds are expected over most parts of the region,” it said.
NiMet predicted a cloudy atmosphere over the southern region, with prospects of light rains over most parts of the South-West during the morning hours.
It forecast moderate rains over the South-South and South-East parts of the country later in the day.
The agency anticipated sunny skies over the northern region on Tuesday, with a few patches of clouds during the morning hours.
According to the agency, thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains are expected over parts of Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Kaduna and the North-East later in the day.
“Sunny skies with patches of clouds are anticipated over the North Central region during the morning hours.
“By the afternoon/evening hours, thunderstorms with moderate rains are expected in most parts of the region.
“Cloudy atmosphere is anticipated over the southern region, with prospects of light rains over parts of Akwa Ibom and Cross River states during the morning hours.”
By the afternoon and evening hours, moderate rains are expected over the region, it said.
According to the agency, strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.
It advised the public to take adequate precautions and ensure that loose objects are fastened to avoid collisions.
“Driving under heavy rain should be avoided.
“Disconnect electrical appliances from electrical sockets. Stay away from tall trees to avoid impact from falling branches and broken trees.
“Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.
“Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet”, it said.
Adeleke stated this during a press conference yesterday, shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner of the August 15 governorship election.
The governor also commended Tinubu for what he described as his support for a free and fair election in the state.
“At this point, I must deeply appreciate Mr. President, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his strong support for a free and fair election.
“Mr. President is a son of Osun State, and I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election,” Adeleke said.
The governor had previously endorsed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, despite being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party before defecting to the Accord Party ahead of the Osun governorship election.
Adeleke was declared the winner of the election at about 7:24 am yesterday by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.
The Accord Party candidate polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who scored 444,815 votes.
Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11. The African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.
The result secured Adeleke a second term after he was elected governor in 2022 on the platform of the PDP before moving to the Accord Party for the 2026 election.
Earlier on Sunday, Adeleke thanked Tinubu for calling to congratulate him on his victory and said he expected Oyebamiji to also call and congratulate him.
“Yes. This is no victor, no vanquished. I want them to come over. I am expecting Oyebamiji to even, as a civilised person, to call me and congratulate me,” he said.
He added, “And of course, I want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr. President. Mr. President has called me and he has congratulated me. And I thank you, Mr. President, for making sure democracy lives on, because you fought for it, Mr. President.”
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