Contrary to media reports that 5 students of College of Education
Gidan Waya in southern part of Kaduna State were killed, the School
administrator, Professor Emmanuel Joseph Chom, has clarified that none
of his students were killed.
Addressing a press conference Tuesday in Kaduna, the school
administrator wondered why any person or group of persons would want to
destroy government’s determined effort at ensuring that normalcy
returned to the area.
He called on well meaning individuals particularly those in the media
profession to always cross check their facts, particularly as it
affects security before publishing such information to avoid putting the
state in bad light in the eyes of the public and investors.
“I want to strongly and unequivocally without any iota of doubt, fear
or favour say that no student of College of Education, Gidan Waya was
killed as reported by a national daily, and some online and social
media; nothing of such happened.
“The report has caused so much fear in the minds of parents who have
continued to call to authenticate the veracity of such report.
“The present situation in the state particularly where the school is
located is very fragile and that is why we have to use this media to
tell all concerned that there was no attack on any student of the
school.
“Besides, the school among other schools within the area has been
closed since November last year (2016) and at the moment, we don’t have
the department of Mass Communication education as the students allegedly
killed as reported were said to have come from that department of the
college.
“The only time a student of the school was killed was when the
student who was on errand for his father took a wrong route and ran into
the hands of Fulani Herdsmen and was killed; my security guard prior to
the closure of the school was also killed, but these killings were last
year and not recently as reported.”
He explained that necessary efforts were being made to resume school
in view of the relative normalcy that was gradually returning to the
area.
“Our internal security measures are in place 24 hours, we also have a
lot of men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),
armed police men on ground to compliment government security measures
already put in place. There is also enough security check points in and
around the school and environs,” he stressed.
Recall that the College of Nursing, Kafanchan, Kaduna State
University (KASU), Kafanchan campus and the College of Education Gidan
Waya all in Jema’a local government area in Southern Kaduna Senatorial
district of Kaduna State have been closed down over security related
challenges.
Meanwhile, Zango Kataf local government area is under a 24-hour
curfew, while Kaura and Jema’a local government areas are under dust to
dawn curfew.