MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Nov 20 (Reuters) – Nigerian authorities have shut schools in five districts in central Kwara state, fearing they could be targets of armed gangs after a deadly attack on a church in the state earlier in the week.
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“The (Kwara state) government is determined to curtail the activities of kidnappers who may want to use schoolchildren as human shields,” Lawal Olohungbebe, the Kwara state education commissioner, said in a statement on Thursday.
He said the school closures would remain in place until security agencies give clearance for normal activities to resume.
Nigeria says claims that Christians face persecution misrepresent a complex security situation and do not take into account efforts to safeguard religious freedom.
Tinubu has dispatched a delegation led by the country’s national security advisor to meet U.S. lawmakers and government officials.
Reporting by Ahmed Kingimi, Writing by Ben Ezeamalu; Editing by Aidan Lewis
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