BENUE: 300,000 pupils forced out of school over herdsmen attacks

The deadly attacks and killings of innocent citizens by herdsmen in Benue State and its environs has forced no less than 300,000 students out of school.

That much information was revealed by Prof. Wilfred Uji, the Executive Secretary, Benue State Teaching Service Board at a press conference in the state capital on Tuesday.

Prof. Uji said the persistent attacks by herdsmen on Benue communities, had disrupted the school calendar and forced 300,000 children out of school.

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He said; “200,000 of the figure are secondary school students and 100,000 are primary school pupils, which cut across three local government areas.”

Prof. Uji also added that schools such as Government Secondary School, Gbajimba; Government Secondary School, Agasha; Government Science Secondary School, Logo; and Government Secondary School, Ukum, among others, had been burnt or closed down completely by herdsmen.

“I pray this should stop; otherwise, it is going to be a nightmare. The situation in the IDP camps is so overwhelming that even the mobile schools we established in the camps, it is difficult to control the teaching and learning process as a result of overcrowding. Students, who are displaced and now taking WAEC, even though we moved them to safer centres, are not finding it easy. It’s painful watching students from the IDP camps coming to sit for exams,” Uji said.

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