The Niger State government has begun investigating why the principal of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Agwara, flouted its security directive that, in view of security concerns, all boarding schools in the northern senatorial district of the state remain shut.
The probe was launched a few hours after gunmen stormed the school early Friday morning, kidnapping an unspecified number of the school’s pupils.
The attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School followed the pattern of a similar one earlier in the week on a Government school in Kebbi, despite security alerts by the Department of State Services (DSS) that there was a likelihood of terrorists attacking soft targets like schools.
Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, in a statement on Friday morning, confirmed the kidnap of an unspecified number of pupils in St. Mary’s Catholic School in Agwara LGA. The kidnap occurred a few days after suspected terrorists kidnapped students of a girls’ college in neighbouring Kebbi State.
Said the SSG, “This unfortunate incident comes despite prior intelligence report obtained by the government indicating an increased threat level in parts of Niger North Senatorial District.
“In response to these credible security alerts, the State Government had earlier issued a clear directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure.
He continued, “Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk.
“The Government urges school proprietors, community leaders, and all stakeholders to adhere strictly to security advisories issued in the interest of public safety. The protection of lives, especially those of our children, remains the utmost priority of this administration.
“Security agencies have since commenced a full-scale investigation and search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the pupils. The Niger State Government is in close communication with all relevant security formations and will provide continuous updates as more information becomes available,” assured the SSG.
Security sources disclosed that they were strongly considering the theory of sabotage by the school management.
Offered one of the sources, “We are not ruling out sabotage. As early as in August, the DSS shared intel with sister security agencies in the state on the plan by Ansaru/ISWAP terrorists to attack schools in Borgu Area. The state government ordered schools in the area shut.
“This attack appeared to reveal the widening gap between intelligence provided by the DSS, on the one hand, and its implementation on the other,” stated a security analyst.
“St. Mary’s Catholic School is owned by an Irish priest. He established the primary section in May 2008 and the secondary section two years later. He owns another Catholic school in Kigbara, Borgu LGA.
“On the heels of the DSS security advisory, the schools’ owner shut down and relocated. What is puzzling is why the principal of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, one Felicia Diyah, unilaterally reopened St. Mary’s School without informing the proprietor.
“Even without any advisory, any rational person would have shut down the school given that a girls’ school in neighbouring Kebbi was attacked early this week. More troubling is that she was said to have travelled to Abuja on Thursday, a few hours before the attack,” noted the source, adding, “In this era of probes by the US Congress on the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, anything is possible.”
Meanwhile, the military high command has launched a separate probe into how heavily armed soldiers deployed to protect students of Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, reportedly abandoned their duty post barely thirty minutes before gunmen attacked the school, killed the vice principal, and abducted 22 girls.
They are a Staff Sergeant, two Sergeants, two Corporals (names withheld), and two Private soldiers.
