By Jutha Gupah Maiduguri
The Commissioner of Education in Yobe state, Alhaji Mohammed Lamin has said the media is responsible for parents’ withdrawals of students from Government Girls Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, after the abduction of 110 schoolgirls by Boko Haram. The College was attacked on Monday, February 19, 2018, before abducting 110 students into awaiting trucks amid cries and wailings of students at their hostel. Speaking yesterday (Tuesday) on the Hausa Service of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Lamin said: “The current wave of fears among parents; who are now nursing the idea of not sending or to withdraw their children from schools across the state; following abduction of 110 schoolgirls in Dapchi, was caused by media reports on Boko Haram attacks and abductions. According to him, for now the government’s decision to close schools is a wise one; until government is able to put all security measures in place to check activities of intruders such as Boko Haram terrorists. On planned security measures of state government, he said: “Any measure government is going to take or is taking at this moment was not for the consumption of the public.” He said government is considering putting security measures not only in the girls’ school in Dapchi; but in all the other schools across the state. On whether parents will send their children to Dapchi College, Lamin however said: “Many parents of the abducted schoolgirls are generally afraid due to reports flying with the abduction saga in Dapchi. “You; the media people are responsible for this fears in Yobe state, you are scaring parents with your reports. This is why some of them are even thinking of not to send their children to school again not even about relocating them to other places.” The Guardian also learns the abduction of school girls in Dapchi is going to have a setback in the education of school children not only in Yobe state, but neighbouring state of Borno where fresh memories of the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls still persist.
