Benue Catholic school relocates students over security concerns

St Winifred Girls Secondary School, Ihugh, in Benue State, has temporarily relocated its students to four Catholic schools across the state following repeated fires at its hostels and concerns over their safety.

In a circular dated 17 October, the school’s management said the relocation followed consultations with the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko and the Director of Catholic Education Services.

The students are expected to resume at their new schools on 23 October.

Under the arrangement, Basic 7 and Senior Secondary School (SSS) 2 students will attend Queen of the Rosary Secondary School, Gboko, while Basic 8 and 9 students will move to St Mary Girls’ Secondary School, Adikpo.

SSS 1 students will attend Our Lady of Apostles Girls’ Secondary School, Vandeikya, while SSS 3 students will be placed at Notre Dame Secondary School, Mkar.

The school said the arrangement was temporary, pending further decisions by the Church on its future, particularly in view of security concerns surrounding its location.

“We wish to reassure all parents/guardians that this arrangement is temporary,” the circular said.

Some teaching and non-teaching staff have also been assigned to the receiving schools to support teaching and learning and guide the students at their temporary locations.

The management apologised to parents and students for the disruption, saying it would establish communication channels to keep families informed.

Four fires at school

The relocation follows repeated fires at the student hostels, which the Catholic Diocese of Gboko cited in its decision to close Catholic institutions in Ihugh.

In a pastoral letter and decree dated 12 October, the diocese announced the indefinite closure of St Winifred Girls Secondary School, St Winifred Nursery and Primary School, St Thomas Hospital and Salus Mudi Care Centre, as well as St Winifred Parish.

The decree was signed by the Bishop of Gboko, William Avenya, and the diocesan chancellor, Marcellinus Wende.

The diocese said the school’s student hostels were burnt on 28 October 2025, 10 May 2026, 15 May 2026 and 11 October 2026.

It also cited repeated burglaries at St Winifred Parish and criminal incidents at St Thomas Hospital, describing the incidents as part of a pattern of hostility and destruction directed at Church-owned properties.

The diocese said it had engaged community leaders, traditional rulers and security authorities in efforts to resolve the situation but had not obtained lasting assurances of safety.

“The Church cannot, in conscience, continue to expose her Priests, Consecrated Persons, Teachers, Medical personnel, Students and Patients to danger,” the pastoral letter said.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the diocese ordered the closure of the institutions and the withdrawal of its pastoral agents from Ihugh, citing repeated attacks, arson and the absence of adequate security guarantees.

Principal apologises to students

In a separate letter addressed to students and their parents, the school’s principal, Isaac Shalegh, apologised for the repeated incidents and the disruption to the students’ education.

He said he had repeatedly assured the students that conditions would improve after earlier fires but was devastated when another incident occurred.

According to the principal, community stakeholders had previously assured the school that the incidents would not recur and that damaged buildings would be reconstructed within three months, ahead of the students’ return in September 2026.

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He said the students returned to find that the assurances had not been fulfilled as expected.

The principal also recounted an incident on Friday, 9 October, when students reportedly noticed suspicious activity suggesting an attempt to set another hostel building on fire.

He said he contacted relevant authorities before another fire incident occurred on Sunday, 11 October.

Describing the latest incident as the fourth fire, Mr Shalegh said he watched students flee the school in distress and travel home without adequate preparation, with some arriving as late as 11 p.m.

“I can no longer promise you the safety of remaining in this community under the present circumstances,” he wrote.

He apologised to the students and their parents, saying he had not intended to mislead them or give them false hope.

“I am writing because you deserve to know how deeply this situation has affected me and how sincerely I regret the pain you have endured,” he said.

The principal added that he had tried to protect and support the students but could no longer guarantee their safety under the prevailing circumstances.

The school has not announced when students might return to Ihugh. Its management said the temporary placement would remain in effect pending further decisions by the Church.