The Katsina and Plateau state governments have ordered the immediate closure of schools as banditry attacks on educational institutions continue to rise in parts of the country.
In Katsina, Yusuf Jibia, commissioner for basic and secondary education, announced the directive on Friday while addressing journalists.
He said the shutdown — which affects even students currently writing examinations — is part of a new statewide school safety strategy aimed at protecting students and teachers.
Jibia described the closure as a temporary measure pending a comprehensive security review of high-risk areas.
Normal academic activities, he added, will resume once security assessments are completed and strengthened protection measures are in place.
He urged parents, teachers and residents to comply as officials monitor the evolving security situation.
In Plateau, Richard Jonah, spokesperson of the Plateau Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), announced the state’s decision in a statement issued on Friday in Jos.
Jonah said the action reflects “the urgent need for preventive steps to safeguard lives and property”.
He said government junior model secondary schools will close from Saturday, November 22, while primary and day schools will shut down from Monday, November 24.
He described the closure as temporary but necessary to forestall potential threats, adding that the move is meant to reassure communities that the government is prioritising the safety of pupils and students.
The decisions by both states follow recent abductions of secondary school students in Kebbi and Niger states — incidents that have heightened anxiety among parents and authorities across the north-west.
