The Edo State Government has taken swift preventive action by ordering the immediate shutdown of three secondary schools in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area. This critical decision follows a chilling intelligence report from the Department of State Services (DSS) revealing a coordinated plot by bandits to kidnap students in the region.
Affected Schools and Safety Measures
According to an official circular signed by Enodolomwanyi Otamere, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Education, the affected institutions are:
- Ososo Grammar School
- Ososo Comprehensive High School
- Makeke Secondary School
The closure serves as a proactive measure to guarantee the safety of learners, educators, and support staff amid rising security apprehensions in Edo North. School principals have been instructed to ensure the orderly release of students to their parents, secure academic facilities, and maintain an open line of communication with local authorities.
WASSCE Candidates to Continue Exams Under Guard
Despite the abrupt closures, the government has assured the public that students currently sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will not have their academic progress disrupted. These candidates will be allowed access to their designated examination halls under heavily fortified security arrangements, coordinated by community leaders, security agencies, and local stakeholders.
How the Kidnap Plot Was Uncovered
The security alert stems from a classified DSS intelligence memo dated June 5, which was dispatched to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Intelligence officers reportedly intercepted communication between two suspected bandits who decided to shift their target to school children after previous attempts to abduct wealthy individuals failed to yield financial returns.
According to the DSS report, the criminals calculated that abducting students would generate greater public and governmental panic, thereby increasing their leverage to demand massive ransom payments.
Highlighting the immediacy of the threat, security forces arrested a 25-year-old suspect on June 4. The individual was caught conducting surveillance around Makeke Secondary School, one of the now-closed institutions. Following these developments, the DSS has recommended an immediate boost in security presence, deeper collaboration with local vigilante groups and hunters, and intensified patrols across vulnerable communities in Edo State.