Insecurity: Ministry shuts Abuja FG colleges, evacuates students

The Federal Ministry of Education has ordered the immediate closure of all Federal Government Colleges domiciled in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja while ordering immediate evacuation of students.

The directive was made by the Federal Ministry of Education over fear of possible impending bandits and terrorists’ attacks.

It was learnt that the decision was as a result of rising insecurity and threat to the lives, properties and well-being of the students therein.

While some schools had directed students to vacate latest on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, other schools disseminated messages to parents on Sunday asking them not to fail to come pick their children on Monday, unfailingly, due to rising fear and anxiety emanating from reported threats.

An unconfirmed report had trended on social media on Sunday, indicating that there were heavy shootings at Federal Government College in Kwali, Abuja, a report which prompted parents to rush down to the school to ascertain the safety of their wards and possibly return home with them until calm was restored.

Some members of staff at the Federal Government Girls’ College, Bwari, also confided in our correspondent that they received a directive from the Federal Ministry of Education to allow students vacate the school before Wednesday.

Members of staff also told our newsmen, in confidence, that the school would be shut down today not minding the Wednesday deadline as parents had been asked to come pick up their children before noon on Monday.

Efforts to reach the authorities for reactions to the incident have been futile; however, some parents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claimed that a message came from the school authorities informing parents to come pick up their children not later than Monday noon.

Although sources within the Federal Ministry of Education confirmed to The PUNCH that the schools were directed to be closed due to security threats and fear of impending bandits and terrorists’ attacks but it could not reach the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Goong, for comments on the situation, as the director did not respond to phone calls nor text messages.