In a frantic bid to forestall a looming catastrophe, the Federal Government, alongside the state governments of Katsina and Plateau, has ordered the immediate and indefinite closure of schools across Northern Nigeria. The directive issued late Friday, November 21, 2025, comes in the wake of a bloody week that saw two mass abductions in Kebbi and Niger states.
The unprecedented move has sent shockwaves through the region, effectively putting the academic future of thousands of students on hold while security agencies scramble to contain a volatile security situation that appears to be spiralling out of control.
The directive from the Federal Ministry of Education is perhaps the most telling indicator of the severity of the threat. In a circular signed by Binta Abdulkadir, Director of Senior Secondary Education, the Federal Government ordered the immediate closure of dozens of Federal Unity Colleges spread across the North-West, North-East, and North-Central zones. Principals have been instructed to suspend all academic activities and facilitate the immediate evacuation of students to their homes.
Simultaneously, the Katsina State Government, the home state of several high-profile school abductions in recent years, declared a total shutdown of all public schools. Yusuf Jibia, the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, announced that the closure affects both boarding and day schools and is effective immediately.
"This is a painful but necessary decision," Jibia told reporters in Katsina. "We have received credible intelligence of escalating threats. Our priority right now is not examinations, but the lives of these children. We are rolling out a new statewide school safety strategy, and until that is fully operational, the gates must remain closed."
In Plateau State, the response was equally swift. The State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) ordered the closure of all junior model secondary schools effective Saturday, November 22, with primary schools to follow suit on Monday, November 24. Richard Jonah, the board’s spokesperson, described the move as a "proactive preventive measure" designed to reassure terrified communities rather than a response to an attack already suffered.
The trigger for this drastic administrative action was a week of horror that began on Monday, November 17, in Kebbi State. Under the cover of darkness, armed bandits on motorcycles stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene where the school’s Vice Principal, Hassan Makuku, was gunned down while attempting to shield his students. The attackers successfully abducted 25 schoolgirls, dragging them into the forests that have become a sanctuary for criminal gangs.
Just as the nation was grappling with the Kebbi incident, the bandits struck again—this time in Niger State. On the morning of Friday, November 21, gunmen raided St. Mary’s Catholic School in Agwara. While official figures are still being harmonised, local reports suggest up to 52 students and staff may have been taken.
The government has insisted that the closures are temporary. Commissioner Jibia of Katsina State emphasised that schools would reopen once a "comprehensive security review" is completed. However, no specific date has been given for resumption.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who visited Kebbi State earlier in the week to condole with the families of the victims, promised that the administration would "use every instrument of the state" to rescue the abducted students and bring the perpetrators to justice.
For now, the Nigerian government has chosen the safety of avoidance over the risk of exposure.
