The Federal Ministry of Education recently ordered the immediate closure of the Federal Government College (FGC) Kwali, one of the Unity Colleges, which is situated in the Kwali Area Council of the federal capital territory.

The FCTA informed parents and guardians in a circular issued yesterday through the Education Secretariat that the 2021–2022 academic calendar for FCT Education would end on Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

The circular advised all parents and guardians to remark the date and ensure their children are conveyed home in good time from the school premises.

A senior member of staff of the FCT Education Secretariat, who preferred anonymity, said the directive may not be unconnected to the rising security threat from terrorists who may want to attack schools in the territory.

“Whether the circular is coming because of the threat of terrorists or not, the academic calendar for the term is ending on Wednesday, but there is also the need for the government and everybody to take precautions, because of rumours of planned terrorist attacks which have not been substantiated.

“However, since the circular did not specify that, apart from the end of the academic calendar, the issue of insecurity was part of urgently sending out the circular, common sense will tell you that as far as the minister of education has ordered the closure of Government Secondary School in Kwali, the FCTA should follow suit,” he said.

Also, the Federal Ministry of Education has ordered the immediate closure of one of its Unity Colleges, the Federal Government College (FGC) Kwali, located in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

The decision was taken after a reported terrorist attack on the neighbouring Sheda community in the Area Council, which is close to the college.

It was reported that gunmen, suspected to be bandits, attacked Sheda community in the early hours of Sunday, kidnapping a resident.

The director of press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, said in a press statement that security had been beefed up in the Unity Colleges across the country.
He said, “Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, who gave the directive in the early hours of this morning, said the closure became necessary following a security breach at Sheda and Lambata Villages, suburbs of Kwali Area Council which also threatened Federal Government College (FGC), Kwali.

“According to the minister, the timely intervention of security agencies saved the situation.?Adamu Adamu also directed that arrangements should be made for final year students to conclude their NECO examinations.

“The minister has also directed principles of Unity Colleges across the country to liaise with security agencies within their jurisdictions in order to forestall any security breach in our schools,” he added.

Speaking in an interview with LEADERSHIP, a staff member of the college and resident of Sheda, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there was panic in the area but that some of the students were still in the school due to ongoing NECO examination.
She said, “There is fear; the attack did not occur in the school but very close to the school. In the village called Sheda in the early hours of Sunday morning, they kidnapped someone there.

“Some children have gone home but some are still in school because SS3 students are currently writing NECO examinations.”

The chairman of, Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, has lamented that insecurity in the nation is causing more chaos in terms of the number of out-of-school children.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on the rising attacks, Eyakenyi called for proper fencing of all public schools in the country.
She said, “What do we have to do as a government, as parents, as Nigerians that have money? It is the responsibility of the government to ensure at least the public schools are properly fenced and the gate properly constructed?

Military repels terrorist attack in FCT, as 3 soldiers got wounded

Troops on a routine patrol along Kubwa-Bwari Road were attacked by terrorists yesterday, injuring three soldiers.

The Federal Capital Territory had been under siege by terrorists who intended to attack the Bwari Law School and other government buildings, according to intelligence reports.

Although officials claimed to be on the trail of the attackers, military sources told LEADERSHIP that the attack was evidence of the terrorists’ siege on the city.

According to a military source, on Monday, troops of the 7 Guards Battalion were on routine patrol along the Kubwa-Bwari road when they were ambushed by suspected terrorists. The soldiers who were hurt were immediately taken to a hospital for treatment.

He said, “The ambush that happened within the general area of Bwari shows that the terrorists are actually within the location and possibly want to carry out their plans of attacking the law school in Bwari as earlier reported.”

When contacted, the assistant director, Army Public Relations, Guards Brigade, Captain Godfrey Abakpa, confirmed that the soldiers were attacked but that they repelled it successfully.

He added that the wounded soldiers had been evacuated to a medical facility and were receiving treatment.