The Catholic Diocese of Gboko has ordered the immediate closure of its institutions in Ihugh community, Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State, citing repeated attacks on church-owned properties.

The affected institutions include St Winifred Girls Secondary School, Ihugh; St Thomas Hospital, Ihugh; St Winifred Nursery and Primary School, Ihugh; and St Winifred Parish, Ihugh.

The directive also ordered the withdrawal of pastoral agents from the community.

Ihugh is the home community of Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.

The letter conveying the directive was signed by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, Most Rev. William Avenya, and the diocesan chancellor, Rev. Fr. Marcellinus Wende.

Titled “On the Temporary Closure of Catholic Institutions and the Withdrawal of Pastoral Agents from Ihugh,” the letter said the diocese decided this following repeated attacks on Catholic institutions in the community since 2024.

Parts of the letter read, “Over a considerable period, the Catholic institutions in Ihugh have suffered repeated disturbances, attacks and acts of destruction.

“Among these were the recent burning down of the students’ hostels of St Winifred Secondary School, Ihugh, on October 28, 2025, May 10, 2026, May 15, 2026, and October 11, 2026.

“These acts have destroyed the shelter of young people entrusted to our care, wiped out the labour and sacrifices of many years, and placed the lives and safety of students, teachers and staff in grave danger.

“The persistent burning down of St Winifred Secondary School students’ hostels was not an isolated event. The consistent burglary incidents at St Winifred Parish, Ihugh, the repeated criminal incidents at St Thomas Hospital, Ihugh, and the hooliganism witnessed during the reopening of St Thomas Hospital, Ihugh, on June 21, 2024, when people in Ihugh displayed placards and chanted slogans saying they no longer wanted the Reverend Sisters to work in the community, were also part of the problem.

“These acts are identified as part of a systemic pattern of hostility and destruction directed at church-owned properties, alongside arson and harassment. Each incident has left behind fear, loss and uncertainty among those who serve and are served by the church.”

The diocese said that before reaching the decision, it had met with members of the host community, engaged traditional rulers and community elders, and presented its grievances to the relevant civil and security authorities.

“Sadly, these sincere efforts have not yielded the peace, security and guarantees that the continued presence of our institutions requires.

“We have done all that depends on us. The attacks have continued, and no assurance of lasting safety has been secured,” the letter added.

The diocese said students of the secondary and primary schools would be assisted to continue their education in other Catholic schools within the diocese.

It added that patients of St Thomas Hospital would be referred to other health facilities, with every care taken to protect those requiring urgent medical attention.

“Staff affected by this decision will be treated with justice and charity, in accordance with Church teaching on the dignity of labour,” the letter concluded.

When contacted by telephone on Tuesday, Avenya confirmed the letter, saying, “Yes, we have suspended activities there.”

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

France readied on Tuesday for fresh nationwide demonstrations supporting students who have been protesting poor classroom conditions for weeks, with authorities and participants wary of further violence.

The mobilisation, backed by unions and the far-left opposition France Unbowed party, was to include a march through Paris starting at 1200 GMT, along with marches in other cities.

It follows demonstrations on Thursday that saw more than 70,000 people take to the streets across France, with about 500 people arrested.

French authorities had been hoping that the student protest movement that started in late September was starting to ease, ahead of half-term holidays. The protests have seen students pile up dumpsters and other obstacles to block access to high schools, with clashes occasionally breaking out with police.

On Monday, only 130 of France’s 3,700 lycees were closed, according to the education ministry, though it stated that, while “the number of school closures is falling… the violence is intensifying”.

In an incident seemingly unrelated to the protests, police arrested a 14-year-old on Monday near Marseille after a middle school headmaster and a teacher were shot with a hunting rifle, wounding both.

The education ministry said eight members of teaching staff were injured on Monday, mostly in the Paris region and cities of Bordeaux and Lyon, in relation to the protests. Its tally did not include the shooting, which police were treating as a separate case.

• ‘Aren’t being heard’ –

While most of the protests have been peaceful, students say they are determined to press the government to address the problems of too many absent teachers, dilapidated buildings, overcrowded class schedules and other grievances.

“Students aren’t being heard enough… not their proposals to authorities and elected officials,” a 19-year-old graphic design student in Paris, Leo, said.

He added that the protesters — many of whom were minors — were “disturbed by the level of repression never before seen for a student movement”.

One young protester lost a hand from a police stun grenade earlier in the protests, another lost many of his teeth from a tear-gas canister fired in his face at close range, and another lost an eye.

Rights groups and students have accused the police of a disproportionate use of force.

Several police officers and teachers have also been hurt, and on Monday authorities said fireworks fired through a tube injured two school workers in Reims, one school worker in a Paris suburb and a police officer outside a school in Marseille.

Tuesday’s demonstrations supporting the students were to be followed on Saturday by wider public rallies against the rising cost of living.

Naila, a 17-year-old student in the city of Rennes who said she would participate in Tuesday’s demonstration, hoped it would “converge” with the wider one on Saturday.

President Emmanuel Macron, speaking to reporters on Monday, said the pupils’ grievances would take time to address and urged restraint from protesters.

“These are issues that deserve time, consultations, discussion and respect,” Macron said.

• Worries about lost lessons –

More than 6,800 people — largely minors — have been taken into police custody over the course of the protests, according to the justice ministry.

Police have opened internal investigations into 24 allegations of brutality against demonstrators.

After last week’s nationwide demonstrations, the government promised some 3,000 substitute teachers would be deployed in the coming days to replace absent staff at the 114 worst-affected high schools.

A government spokeswoman on Monday said they had started to be assigned.

But the national students’ union has dismissed the government’s move as “crumbs” and is demanding a 10 billion-euro ($11 billion) boost for lycees.

Some parents and students, however, voiced concerns about all the classes being missed because of the protests. A few worried that the children were being used as pawns by opposition political parties.

Some parents pleaded for the teens to lift their blockades at Paris schools.

“The blockades are by their very nature undemocratic,” complained one mother, who went by the pseudonym Gladys.

“It’s shameful to block students who really want to study, by a movement they aren’t part of,” said Clara Juillet, a university student in the city of Tours who has been unable to attend lessons for a week because of the protests.

AFP

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has donated N180m to support Islamic education, research and academic development as Az-Zumratul Adabiyyah School of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin, marked its centenary.

The donation, announced at the institution’s 100th anniversary celebration on Sunday, comprised contributions to Ansarul Islam Society, the founding body of Muhammed Kamaldeen University, Ilorin, support for the university and scholarship grants for 30 students.

The governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, AbdulRazaq Jiddah, said the donations were intended to support the institution and advance educational development.

Providing a breakdown of the donation in a Facebook post, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Communications, Ibraheem Abdullateef, said AbdulRazaq donated N50m to Ansarul Islam Society in his capacity as the Sardauna of Ilorin.

According to Abdullateef, the governor made another N50m donation on behalf of the AbdulRazaq family.

The governor also announced a N50m contribution by the Kwara State Government to Muhammed Kamaldeen University, Ilorin, to support research and educational advancement.

Abdullateef said, “In a similar vein, he noted that the Kwara State Government would also donate the sum of N50m to Muhammed Kamaldeen University (MKU), Ilorin, as a form of support to strengthen research and educational advancement in the institution.

“On top of it, AbdulRazaq directed the university to compile names of 30 deserving students for scholarship, with each getting N1m grant each to inspire and support their academic journey.”

The scholarship grants amount to N30m, bringing the total announced donations to N180m.

In his congratulatory message to the Adabiyyah family worldwide, AbdulRazaq described the centenary as a significant milestone in the institution’s history.

The governor congratulated the founders, successive administrators, teachers, students, alumni, supporters and other members of the community associated with the institution.

“One hundred years is a remarkable milestone in the life of any institution. For Az-Zumratul Adabiyyah, it has been a century of commitment, sacrifice, scholarship, discipline, and service to humanity. On behalf of the government and people of Kwara State, I congratulate the founders, successive administrators, teachers, students, alumni, supporters, and the entire community associated with this historic institution. I commend all those whose dedication has sustained its mission through changing times and generations,” AbdulRazaq said.

The governor urged the institution’s management and alumni network to use the centenary celebration to develop a clear plan for its next phase of growth. “I encourage the management of Az-Zumratul Adabiyyah and its alumni network to use this important occasion to develop a clear plan for the institution’s next phase of growth,” he said.

AbdulRazaq also identified areas he considered important to the institution’s future development, including curriculum improvement, teacher training and digital learning. “While they continue to prioritise curriculum development, teacher training, digital learning, improved libraries, research, and partnerships with other reputable educational institutions,” he said.

Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to education, the governor said the state government would continue to work with relevant stakeholders within the limits of its policies and available resources. “Our administration remains committed to working with relevant stakeholders and institutions within the framework of our educational policies and available resources to advance learning, research, and scholarship in the state,” he said.

Abdullateef stated that the announcement of the donations was greeted with applause and cheers from traditional rulers, clerics, dignitaries and students who attended the centenary celebration

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM