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 PUNCH Metro 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
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