Children out of schools

Africa/Nigeria/03.09.18/Source: www.pulse.ng.

Attacks by herdsmen have forced at least 20,000 schoolchildren out of their classroms with many of them ending up in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), according to the Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Reverend Philip Tachin.

While inspecting primary school projects that were constructed by the Benue State Government and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention fund, Rev. Tachin said the state houses at least 16,000 schoolchildren in IDP camps.

He said the destruction of schools by the attackers is presenting a huge challenge for the government.

He said, «20,000 children forced out of school while over 16,000 of these pupils are now housed in various Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the state.

«The renewed herdsmen attacks in 2018 also led to the complete destruction of structures in over 50 public primary schools in the affected areas and communities of the state.

«The development is quite a huge challenge for the state government, given the amount of resources that would be required to rebuild the affected structures.»

He assured that the state government is undeterred and will continue to execute rehabilitation projects to combat the problem.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Benue State this year alone as attacks mostly attributed to herdsmen grew as a result of an escalation of simmering tension with local farming communities.

Source of the notice: https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/herdsmen-have-forced-20-000-children-out-of-school-in-benue-id8804352.html