Senate President Bukola Saraki has said over 10 million children being out of school in the country is alarming.

Saraki warned that the children may “constitute the next generation of suicide bombers and militant terrorists.”

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, Saraki said this while addressing a UNICEF delegation led by its Country Representative, Mohammed Malick Fall, on a visit to him in Abuja.

He said the National Assembly was ready to partner with stakeholders like the United Nations Children’s Fund to reduce the number drastically.

Saraki said, “This represents approximately 20 per cent of the world’s population of children that are not in school. Having 10 million children out of school is literally a ticking time bomb for our nation.

“An uneducated population will be locked in a cycle of poverty for their entire lives. Additionally, these children could constitute the next generation of suicide bombers and militant terrorists.  In this regard, education is a national security priority.”

He said that the 8th National Assembly is determined to make laws and appropriate resources needed to drastically reduce the menace.

Azeez