Teacher Foils Bomb Attack , As Niger State Suspends School Assemblies
A deadly bomb attack targeted at innocent schoolchildren targeted at the Maryam Babangida college, Minna, Niger State was averted on Thursday, thanks to female teacher of the school.
The female teacher was on her way to the school, through a seldom used bush path when she chanced on two men getting ready to carry out an attack on the school.
According to the teacher, she became suspicious The teacher said she became when the path was filled with smoke of Indian hemp, coming from two men who were already dressed in female school uniform and were about to wear a hijab (veil) which is part of the school uniform.
The men had threatened to kill her if she dared talk to anyone about what she saw.
Rather than be cowed, she reported the case to the school principal and the security agencies.
“The quick arrival of the Military and the Police was required to calm the panicky students, who had already started scampering for safety,” the Principal of the school, Hajiya Fatima Madugu said.
Madugu maintained that it was the tip off by the teacher that saved the day.
Niger State Suspends School Assemblies over Fear of Boko Haram
Following the foiled attack on the school, the Niger State Commissioner for Education, Danladi Abdulhamid has directed all public schools in the state to suspend every form of open congregational activities.
A day before the foiled attempt, a female suicide bomber had detonated a bomb at the Federal College of Education, Kontagora in the same state. The suicide bomber had succeeded in injuring many students and killing one.
Abdulhamid gave the order at Maryam Babangida Girls’ Science Secondary School, Bosso, during an unscheduled visit on Thursday, after a man in school uniform was trying to sneak into the hostel in the early hours of Thursday.
“Government has resolved to suspend all congregational activities in our schools for the time being. These enemies of the society are fond of attacking schools during such activities and we feel we should suspend it for now to ensure safety of our children and teachers,” Abdulhamid stated.
Confirming the incident, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, the school principal said the suspected bomber tried to gain entrance to the school through a seldom-used foot path, but was busted by schoolteacher Bezat Doma, who came to college through the bush path, saw him, already dressed in the school uniform and raised alarm.
“I was scared, when I saw the man almost dressed in the school uniform and was about to put on the Hijab (veil) when I sighted him. It was because of the smell of Indian hemp that made me looked at his direction,” Doma narrated.
“The man told me to go home, that there is no school today. Go if you love your life and I just took off my shoes and ran back. But, instead of going home, I went to inform our principal on the assembly ground.”
The swift arrival of Military and other security operatives kept the already scampering students calm.
