Soldiers invade Minna school after teacher punished pupil

OVER 12 soldiers from 31 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army on
Tuesday invaded a school, Hill Top Model Secondary School, in Minna,
Niger State, holding teachers and students hostage.
Our correspondent reports that the solders, who stormed the school
premises, were armed with AK-47 riffles and had removed their name
tags. They were said to have arrived the place in a vehicle, with
registration number, 31 AB 035 NA.
It was gathered that the soldiers came on the invitation of one Umar
Alhassan, a civilian who was said to be a friend of one of the army
officers.
A teacher with the school, Mr. Mohammed Mamud, told our correspondent
that at about 8am, Alhassan, wearing a military fatigue, drove into
the school in a black Nissan with registration number, Niger AA 551
KUG.
Mamud said Alhassan came on the invitation of one Farida Mustapha, a
senior secondary pupil of the school who was punished by a teacher for
an offence.
He explained that the teacher was taking Mustapha's class when an
unidentified student used abusive language. When nobody owned up to
the act, the teacher punished the whole class, including Mustapha.
The teacher said Alhassan used the soldiers to intimidate the school
and its teachers over the general punishment which involved Mustapha
The Principal of the school, Mr. Bala Mohammed, said "Umar Alhassan
drove into the school in a reckless way.We thank God that the students
were not on break or else he would have knocked one down.
"I cannot talk to journalists now until I get permission from the
state Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Danladi Abdulmeed. But I have
invited the Zonal Inspector and he is on the way to the school to see
things for himself,''.
The Zonal Inspector, Mr. Mohammed Gambo, told a source that he was at
the school to investigate the incident.
"We will do our best to get to the root of the matter, I assure you,'' he said.
The soldiers, who refused to talk to journalists, later drove away
with Alhassan. All effort to reach the Public Relations officer of the
31 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Minna, proved abortive, as
his phone line did not go through.
Firstclassnewsline.net

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