Kwara Gov’t Shuts Schools Across 4 LGAs as Insecurity Escalate
The Kwara State Government has directed the immediate closure of schools across four Local Government Areas following a wave of deadly attacks that have unsettled several communities within 48 hours.
The directive affects schools in Ifelodun, Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin and Oke Ero LGAs, and includes all boarding facilities in Irepodun. The government said the measure is a precautionary step to safeguard pupils and prevent criminals from exploiting schools amid ongoing security operations.
The shutdown comes on the heels of a series of violent incidents that have thrown parts of the state into mourning. On Wednesday, armed men invaded Bokungi community in Edu LGA, killing at least three people. The attack occurred less than 24 hours after gunmen stormed a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA, where two worshippers were killed and 30 kidnapped.
Community sources disclosed that four people, including a vigilante, were initially abducted in the coordinated assaults. The gunmen later executed two rice farmers and left a vigilante member critically injured.
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Announcing the school closure, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, said the state had activated an enhanced security plan for schools as part of wider efforts to contain the rising threats.
He explained that the government’s decision underscores its resolve to prevent kidnappers from using students as leverage to evade intensified security crackdowns across the region.
“The measures will remain in place pending further security clearance for normal activities to resume,” the statement added.
The attacks in Kwara mirror a disturbing pattern of violence witnessed in other northern states. On Monday, bandits invaded Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, in Danko Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State, killing a school official and abducting 25 students.
Reacting to the worsening security situation, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had placed the nation’s security architecture on its “highest alert.” He spoke Wednesday in Abuja during a briefing on the recent attacks in Kebbi and Kwara states, assuring Nigerians that government forces were taking decisive steps to curb the menace.
The Kwara State Government urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies as efforts to restore stability intensify.
By PRNigeria
