The Katsina State government has approved the deployment of dogs to complement security arrangements to secure boarding schools in the state.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Badamasi Charanchi, told The Nation that the decision was to complement the efforts of security personnel attached to each boarding school.

He said, “We were advised to deploy these dogs at each school because they have unique abilities to detect any intruder faster than human beings in many instances.

“These dogs, when deployed, will alert the students and other security agents in case of any intruder or bandits whenever they are coming.

”It was an advice from the security agencies and we find it expedient because of the current security situation. Even most of the police stations and rich men have dogs to facilitate and assist security and the vigilante groups.”

Governor Bello Masari said his administration had reinforced the security architecture of the boarding schools before reopening them.

Apart from deploying five security guards, a perimeter fence would be erected with a security watchtower in the boarding schools.

Bandits have in recent times attacked several schools in northern Nigeria, with some of their victims still in captivity.

In December 2020, bandits had invaded the Government Secondary School, Kankara, and taken away 342 students.

In Kagara, Niger State. Forty-two people, including 27 students, three staff of Government Science Secondary School and 12 of their family members, were abducted in February 2021. In the same month, about 315 Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State, were captured