Following rising cases of insecurity across the country, Nigerian teachers have threatened to avoid schools and classrooms for their safeties.
The threat was issued by the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Titus Amba.
He has warned that teachers across the country may withdraw their services if the worsening insecurity in schools is not urgently addressed.
The NUT President made this disclosure while responding to questions from journalists shortly after the 8th quadrennial delegates’ conference of the Jigawa State chapter of the union. The event was held on Thursday at the Manpower Development Institute, Dutse, the state capital
Amba issued the warning amid rising cases of banditry and kidnappings targeting schools, particularly in parts of northern Nigeria.
Recall that incidences of school children kidnappings had occurred in Kebbi State, where girls were abducted from their school. Also there was the kidnapping of hundreds of students in Niger, and attacks on pupils in Kwara State.
Following the incessant attacks and abductions, the government forced the closure of several boarding schools in vulnerable areas. This is even as authorities struggle to guarantee safety for school children in pursuit of their education.
Lamenting the growing attacks on schools, the NUT President described the trend as a direct assault on education and the lives of teachers and pupils.
He said, “We have seen cases where students are abducted in large numbers and teachers are targeted. Yet the system continues as if nothing serious has happened.”
Recalling past incidents, Amba noted that education workers have increasingly become victims of violent attacks while discharging their duties.
He said, “In Kebbi State, a Vice Principal was killed right in the line of duty. In Niger and Kwara States, hundreds of students were kidnapped. And in many parts of the country, teachers have been abducted while trying to teach our children.”
Amba maintained that teachers cannot continue to work under constant threat to their lives. He, therefore, urged governments at all levels to treat school security as a national emergency.
“We are drawing the attention of the government that if this insecurity persists, teachers will have no option but to lay down their teaching apparatus for their own safety,” Amba warned.
The NUT President, however, clarified that the union was not issuing threats lightly but insisting on the fundamental right of teachers to work in a safe environment.
He said, “Teaching is a noble profession, not a death sentence. Our members are ready to do their jobs. But they must first be alive to teach.”
The NUT President also called for the fortification of security around schools, particularly in rural and high-risk communities, through the deployment of security personnel and the use of technology to monitor threats.
He said, “We expect concrete action, not just promises. Secure the schools, protect the teachers and learners. And we will gladly continue our work in the classrooms.”