An official of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) said seven schools in the northwestern state of Kebbi had been shut down in the aftermath of an attack on a secondary school last week.

Isah Arzika, state chairman of the union in Kebbi, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday, saying those affected were schools located on the frontlines of the areas prone to attacks by suspected bandits, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said the government had directed all school principals to close school which was not safe, adding that police and vigilantes had also been deployed to the schools for monitoring and protection. "The government has given us an order and option to take any necessary action as far as our schools are concerned. We can close those schools which we think are not safe and prone to attacks in the areas close to the forest," he said.

He said so far seven schools have been closed and such a move is a proactive measure to guard against a recurrence of the incident similar to that of Federal Government College at Birnin Yauri area on June 17.

A group of unidentified gunmen attacked the college in Birnin Yauri area of the state, killing a police officer and abducted an unspecified number of students and at least three teachers. A spokesman for the Nigerian Army said troops on June 18 rescued seven abductees from the school.