Banditry: ‘Over 11, 000 children out of school, 400 schools shut in Niger’

The Niger State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Ahmad Suleiman Yumu, said 11, 113 school aged children have been pushed out of school in the state in the last eight years due to bandits’ activities.

He also said that over 400 primary and secondary schools have been closed.

Yumu disclosed this when the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, flagged off the distribution of relief materials and grinding engines to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Gwada camp, Shiroro LGA, under the National Social Investment Programme.

He said banditry and kidnappings had disrupted farming activities in the state, adding that 29, 774 farmers were displaced in the state comprising of 7, 650 women, 3, 201 men, while 11, 113 children have been out of school in the last eight years with 108 people with special needs.

He noted that displacement of farmers was alarming, saying it has put a lot of burden on the government in providing relief to the victims.

He said the state government had distributed palliative to the victims of banditry in Munya, Mariga, Mashegu, Rijau among others, while kinetic and non kinetic approaches are being adopted in restoring peace in the affected communities.

Speaking, the minister said the federal government would collaborate with the state to ensure that out-ofschool children go back to school while their parents would be empowered to enable them live a better life.

Dr Edu said with what she saw, there was need for quick intervention in terms of provision of good shelter and access to education as well as empowerment of the victims’ parents.