FG Orders Immediate Closure of 41 Federal Unity Schools Amid Rising Abductions

• The Federal Government has ordered the immediate temporary closure of 41 Federal Unity Schools across Nigeria due to the recent surge in student abductions and security threats.
• The directive, approved by the Minister of Education, requires immediate compliance from all affected school principals to protect students and staff.
• This urgent decision follows major kidnapping incidents, including the recent abduction of students from St. Mary’s School in Niger State and a previous attack in Kebbi State.

The Federal Government (FG) has ordered the immediate closure of 41 Federal Unity Schools across the country in response to the escalating cases of student abductions.

The directive was announced on Friday via a circular signed by Binta Abdulkadir, the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, approved the temporary shutdown to prevent further security breaches in vulnerable communities.

The ministry cited the recent surge in security threats as the reason, noting that the order was aimed at protecting students and staff from ongoing attacks. The circular emphasized that all principals in the affected schools must:

“comply immediately”

The urgent order follows a fresh wave of kidnappings, including the recent abduction of students from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, and an earlier attack in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were seized. Additionally, over 50 schools were recently shut down in Kwara State due to bandit threats.

The 41 affected schools include institutions across several states, such as FGGC Minjibir, FGA Suleja, FGGC Zaria, FGC Daura, FGC Gusau, FGC Birnin Yauri, and FGGC Bida, among others.