The LEA nursery, primary and secondary school in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has reopened for academic activities 10 months after terrorists abducted 138 of its pupils and students.
Locals in the community say they have begun to experience peace since the police and the Uba Sani-led government committed to providing security and renovating the school with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In conversations with FIJ via WhatsApp, they said the school partially reopened in December but was shut two weeks later due to the Christmas holiday.
Deserted LEA School, Kuriga, Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. March 24, 2024. PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Ojukwu/FIJ.
Entrance of renovated LEA school, Kuriga.
In January, they reopened fully and put an end to the homeschooling programme they employed when the school was deserted.
FIJ earlier reported the school’s closure and how UNICEF employed the services of teachers and other willing volunteers to tutor the children in clusters across the community.
READ MORE: SPECIAL REPORT: Kaduna Gov’t Had 5 Years to Prevent Abduction of 137 Kuriga Schoolchildren but Failed
At the time, FIJ spoke with Umar Adamu, one of the teachers. He said of the students, “They are still learning, but at home. UNICEF is helping us.”
Adamu explained that the government was renovating the school, so they could not use the premises.
“They [UNICEF] provided all the necessary materials; whiteboard, markers, books and more. They also employed some people to assist the teachers,” Adamu said.
“Both primary and secondary school children benefit. The lessons are done in groups of 10 to 15 students. We are divided into four clusters; Unguwan Sarki, Unguwan Hassan, Unguwan Unguwan Baraje and Unguwan Badaka.
“Each cluster has chairmen who oversee the teachers. They gather the children within their homes, then these children sit around a radio that teaches them. After the radio plays, it is the job of the teachers to explain the lecture so the students understand it.”
Terrorists struck the school on March 7, 2024, taking 137 schoolchildren and Abubakar Isah, their principal. The terrorists killed Isah but held the children in captivity for 17 days.
After their release on March 24, the police set up a station in the community, and residents no longer had to come out at night with their guns to defend themselves.
FIJ reported that security agencies had sent reports to the government since 2019 alerting them to the insecurity in Kuriga, but there was no effort to address them until the abduction.
“We now sleep well at night,” residents told FIJ.
“We don’t have to carry guns anymore to retaliate when terrorists attack as there have been no attacks since March. Before, they attacked almost every day.”
The post Kaduna School Reopens 10 Months After Schoolchildren’s Abduction appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.