The Katsina State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all public schools amid escalating security concerns across the North-West.
The directive, issued on Friday by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, prompted thousands of boarding students to leave their campuses and return home shortly after the announcement.
The ministry urged parents, teachers, and school authorities to comply fully with the order, noting that officials are monitoring the situation closely to safeguard students and staff.
Although a formal circular had not been released at press time, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Jibia, confirmed the development to DW Hausa, describing the move as a precaution following recent attacks in neighbouring states.
He explained that most schools had already completed first-term academic activities.
“Only examinations remain for our students,” Jibia said, adding that the state cannot ignore emerging threats.
Katsina, which borders Kebbi State, has witnessed multiple school abductions in recent years including the December 2020 Kankara mass kidnapping, in which more than 300 schoolboys were taken and later released. The state also recorded the August 2021 abduction of 10 students and a teacher in Faskari, and the January 2024 kidnapping of two female students of Al-Qalam University.
Wave of abductions across the North
The school closures come amid a fresh surge of attacks across northern states.
In Niger State, gunmen invaded St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri early Friday, abducting an unspecified number of students. Witnesses said the attackers arrived on over 60 motorcycles and shot the school’s gatekeeper, who was critically injured.
In Kwara State, bandits abducted at least 30 worshippers during an attack on a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, killing three people. The kidnappers have reportedly demanded ₦100 million per victim.
In Kebbi State, 26 schoolgirls were taken on Monday when gunmen stormed Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga.
Meanwhile, in Nasarawa State, police dismissed viral reports of an abduction at St. Peter’s Academy in Rukubi, describing the claims as “false” and “not reflective of the true situation.”
Presidency Responds
Amid nationwide alarm over worsening insecurity, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State to coordinate rescue operations.
The president also postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg for the G20 Summit and to Angola to receive further security briefings.
The spike in school attacks has renewed calls for urgent, coordinated security measures to protect learning centres across the northern region.
