*Arewa Consultative Forum, in Northern Nigeria, has expressed concerns over the safety of young learners in schools and colleges, saying children are ‘being bullied to join cult groups or indulge in homosexual acts, or adopt homosexuality as a way of life’

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Against the backdrop of the recent unwarranted assaults on innocent pupils and students, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed concerns over the latest killings in certain Nigerian schools and colleges.

ConsumerConnect reports the ACF has condemned this growing development, as it also urged Federal and state governments to act forcefully and nip the ugly trend in the bud.

Emmanuel Yawe, National Publicity Secretary of ACF, in a statement titled, ‘ACF shocked at school bullying, killings’, said that the Forum expressed shock over the anti-social and criminal acts going on in Nigerian schools.

It is recalled that Hanifa Abubakar, a five-year-old pupil, was killed by her teacher in a private school in Kano State.

President Muhammadu Buhari Buhari has directed the Nigerian Army, the Police and other security agencies to ensure justice in the little pupil’s case.

Earlier, Master Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old pupil of Dowen College, in Lagos State, was also allegedly bullied, and tortured to death by fellow students the school dormitory December 2021, the truth of the circumstances leading to young Oromoni remaining a legal matter till this day.

The ACF National Publicity Secretary also noted in the statement that “the Arewa Consultative Forum wishes to express its shock and revulsion over the anti-social and criminal acts going on in Nigerian schools.

“These border on bullying, murder, kidnapping, homosexuality, cultism, etc.

“The latest of these cases of horror is the alleged kidnap and murder of five-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, by her teacher, Abdulmalik Muhammed, at a private school in Kwanar Dakatar, in Kano State.

The Forum further stated: “He is alleged to have kidnapped the young girl, his student, and taken her to his house where he demanded a ransom of N6million after which he killed her.

“This is a horror story comparable to what happened in December last year when Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, was bullied and then, tortured to death by his fellow students because he refused to join them in their cult activities.

“The Arewa Consultative Forum would like to call the attention of the authorities to this new epidemic of drugs, brutality, cults and death which is taking over all schools across the country and endangering the lives of our daughters, sons and the future of our country.”

The ACF noted argued the horror was not limited to private schools, as the Forum said it was “particularly concerned about what goes on in private schools because they take their students as commodities which should be traded for money.”

“We call on our governments to step in forcefully and nip this trend in the bud.

“Our children have reported to us similar acts of bullying in government and even in military schools where they are being bullied to join cult groups or indulge in homosexual acts or adopt homosexuality as a way of life,” Yawe stated.

The Forum as well said the Northern elders had warned the government “to save the Nigerian children who have been trapped in this web of inhumanity created by school teachers, proprietors and administrators.”