The Katsina State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all public schools in response to escalating security threats in the North-West.
The directive, issued Friday by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, prompted a mass return of students as boarding schools across the state quickly released pupils to parents and guardians. Videos and images circulating online showed students leaving school premises with their belongings shortly after the order was announced.
While the government has not yet issued a formal statement, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Jibia, confirmed the shutdown in an interview with DW Hausa. He described the action as a precautionary measure following recent attacks in neighbouring states.
“Only examinations remain for our students,” Jibia said. “We have to act now to prevent any possible attacks.”
Katsina shares a border with Kebbi State, where gunmen abducted 26 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, earlier this week. The state has witnessed similar tragedies in the past, including the December 2020 Kankara abduction of over 300 students, the August 2021 kidnapping of ten students and a teacher in Faskari, and the January 2024 abduction of two female students from Al-Qalam University.
The Katsina shutdown coincides with a resurgence of violent attacks across the North. In Niger State, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, on Friday, abducting an unspecified number of students. Witnesses said the attackers arrived on more than 60 motorcycles and shot the school’s gatekeeper, who sustained serious injuries.
In Kwara State, bandits invaded a Christ Apostolic Church parish in Eruku, abducting at least 30 worshippers and killing three people. The kidnappers reportedly demanded ₦100 million per victim. Meanwhile, 26 schoolgirls remain missing in Kebbi State following Monday’s invasion of their school in Maga town.
Amid growing panic, the Nasarawa State Police Command dismissed reports that two pupils were kidnapped from St. Peter’s Academy, Rukubi, calling the claim false.
In response to the escalating crisis, President Bola Tinubu directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi to coordinate rescue operations. The president also postponed his planned trips to Johannesburg and Angola.
The recent spike in school attacks has intensified fear across northern communities, with residents and security analysts urging stronger, coordinated measures to protect students and other vulnerable populations.
