At least six Nigerian states have ordered the closure of schools as concerns over the safety of students intensify, with more than 300 students and teachers still being held by bandits in different parts of the country.

The affected states, Plateau, Katsina, Yobe, Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, and Taraba, announced emergency shutdowns following a resurgence of coordinated attacks on schools, abductions, and rising threats to educational institutions.

On Friday, a total of 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted by gunmen during an attack on St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.

The incident comes days after armed men stormed a secondary school in northwestern Nigeria, abducting 25 schoolgirls in similar circumstances in neighbouring Kebbi State’s Maga town, which is 170km (106 miles) away. Two girls later escaped, and 23 are still missing.

As the fear of the abduction of schoolchildren by terrorists grips parts of Northern Nigeria, state governments in the region have begun to close primary and secondary schools in anticipation of further attacks by the rampaging terrorists.

Plateau, Katsina and Niger State governments, over the weekend, ordered the closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions in vulnerable areas of their states.

Yobe also issued a similar directive, while Kwara shut down schools in only four local government areas.

Following the closure announcements, it was learnt that parents rushed to the schools on Saturday to pick up their children.

It was also gathered that many schools had already begun or were scheduled to begin their first-term examinations on Monday before the sudden directive.

Niger school closes till after New Year
In Niger State, the government closed all schools in insecure areas after receiving credible intelligence of heightened threats.

According to the government, all schools across the state should be shut down until after the New Year, while the schools in security-affected areas in the state will be shut down until further notice.

Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, said St Mary’s Secondary School reopened without clearance before Friday’s attack, exposing students to danger. Security forces have launched rescue operations and residents are being urged to share useful information.

Taraba shut both private and public schools
In Taraba State, Governor Agbu Kefas directed all secondary schools, public and private, to shut their boarding facilities as a precaution against rising abductions.

Commissioner for Education, Dr Augustina Godwin, said worsening security trends made boarding students vulnerable and emphasised that schools must now operate strictly as day schools.

All public schools shut down in Katsina
The Katsina State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all public schools across the state following escalating security threats and banditry attacks reported in several communities.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Jibia, confirmed the directive on Friday while briefing journalists in Katsina.

Jibia said the measure became necessary to safeguard students and teachers as security agencies implement a new statewide school-safety strategy.

He noted that although students are currently writing examinations, protecting lives and property remains the top priority.

The commissioner described the shutdown as a temporary step that will remain in place pending a comprehensive security review of identified high-risk areas.

Boarding schools shut in Yobe
The Yobe Government also ordered the closure of boarding secondary schools in the state due to security challenges.

This was contained in a statement by Mamman Mohammed, the Director General of Press and Media Affairs to Governor Mai Mala Buni.

The statement read: “Yobe state government has directed the closure of all boarding Secondary Schools in the state as a proactive measure to safeguard students in the schools.”

Plateau closes primary and junior secondary schools
The Plateau Universal Basic Education Board ordered the immediate closure of all primary and junior secondary schools across the state following fresh security concerns.

The directive was issued in a statement in Jos by the board’s public relations officer, Richard Jonah.

According to the statement, all Government Junior Model Secondary Schools will close effective Saturday November 22, while all Primary and Day Schools will close effective Monday November 24.

Kebbi State Government also ordered the closure of all public and private secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions across the state, following recent attacks in parts of Kebbi.

The directive was issued in a joint statement by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Issa Abubakar-Tunga, and the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Halima Bande, in Birnin Kebbi. They explained that the closure of state-owned, public, and private institutions had become necessary to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Affected tertiary institutions include Kebbi State Polytechnic, Dakingari; Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology, Aliero; College of Health Sciences and Technology, Jega; Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu; and the School of Remedial Studies, Yauri. The only institution exempted is the College of Nursing Sciences and Midwifery in Birnin Kebbi.

The commissioners urged school management to comply with the directive and assured that a new resumption date would be communicated in due course.

Kwara shut schools in four LGAs

Similarly, the Kwara State Government directed the closure of schools across four local government areas: Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun, and Ekiti.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kwara State Wing, disclosed the closure in a circular issued by Chairman Yusuf Agboola.

The circular stated that the union acted strictly on instructions from the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, citing fresh security threats in Kwara South.

The circular read: “This is to inform you, and through you all schools in the above local governments, of the instruction to close down all schools with immediate effect until further notice. This decision was occasioned by the security challenges ravaging the area and the efforts of the government to control the situation.”

Agboola assured school heads and teachers that further directives would be communicated as the situation evolves.

FG denies closing unity schools
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education says it has not issued any directive for schools across the country to shut down on November 24, 2025.

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry described a report circulating on social media alleging a nationwide shutdown as false and misleading.

It noted that it did not originate from the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Education, any State Ministry of Education, or any recognised security agency.

The disclaimer, signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, urged members of the public to rely strictly on verified information from official channels.

The recent surge in violence has once again highlighted how vulnerable schools in Nigeria’s North West and North Central regions remain, despite years of advocacy and government efforts. Parents, teachers, and community leaders say the latest attacks expose serious security gaps that continue to put children at risk in spaces meant for learning and safety.

The rising number of school kidnappings is having a far-reaching impact, causing declining enrolment, mass withdrawals, and a climate of fear that disrupts education. Experts warn that the growing insecurity is worsening the already high number of out-of-school children in the region, further threatening national education goals.

In the past five years, more than 1,400 students have been abducted across northern Nigeria, according to security trackers and humanitarian groups. This trend is part of a broader pattern since 2014, when mass school abductions became a repeated tactic for criminal gangs and insurgent groups in the North.