“My five-year-old said she doesn’t want school again after bandit rumours” — Mother laments

A mother has narrated how she rushed to her child’s school earlier this week after rumours of bandits sighted in nearby bushes triggered panic among parents, students and school authorities in an unidentified community.

The incident reportedly led to chaotic scenes as guardians scrambled to evacuate children from multiple schools in the area.

According to the mother, the panic began when word spread that armed groups had been seen within surrounding bushes, prompting immediate fear of possible attacks.

She said the situation quickly escalated as parents abandoned daily routines and converged on school premises to pick up their children, resulting in heavy traffic and confusion.

Panic at school pickup

The mother described the scene as overwhelming, noting that transport operators and parents filled the streets in a rush to ensure children were safe.

“Students and pupils from different schools were all over the place. Parents were running up and down, bikes everywhere, tricycles everywhere. Everyone was in a hurry,” she said.

She added that the atmosphere reflected the deep anxiety that has become common in communities affected by recurring insecurity concerns across parts of the country.

A child’s fear and emotional impact

The mother said her daughter became visibly distressed upon seeing her at the school gate and expressed fear about returning to the classroom.

“As soon as my daughter saw me, she started crying that she does not want to go to school again because bandits will carry her and kill her if she goes,” she recounted.

She further expressed emotional distress over the child’s reaction, questioning the long-term psychological impact of insecurity on young learners.

Similar incidents of school panic have been reported in recent years, including during the 2021–2023 period when school abductions in northern Nigeria led to repeated closures and emergency evacuations in several states, fuelling nationwide debate on school safety and child protection.

The latest account has sparked renewed concern among parents and education stakeholders, with many expressing fear over how insecurity narratives are shaping children’s perception of safety and schooling in Nigeria.

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