…As 65 Northern schools shut over insecurity
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded an immediate forensic investigation into billions of naira allocated to the Safe Schools Initiative, following the closure or disruption of at least 65 primary and secondary schools across northern Nigeria due to worsening insecurity.
The rights advocacy group said the continued shutdown of schools, more than a decade after the Federal Government launched the Safe Schools Initiative in response to the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, exposed a disturbing failure to protect Nigerian children despite huge financial commitments to school security.
In a statement signed by Emmanuel Onwubiko, its National Coordinator, on Sunday, HURIWA described the development as a “national disgrace” and demanded that the Federal Government and National Assembly account for funds appropriated, released or donated for the protection of schools.
The organisation specifically called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to jointly investigate the finances and implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative.
