Kebbi State, in north-western Nigeria, has become the latest state in the country to indefinitely shut virtually all its schools, joining Katsina, Plateau, and Yobe, which have made similar announcements due to security concerns in the country.
The Kebbi State Government on Sunday ordered the closure of all public and private secondary Schools, as well as all tertiary institutions across the state, except the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kebbi.
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The announcement is contained in a statement jointly issued by the Kebbi Commissioner for Higher Education, Issa Abubakar-Tunga, and the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Halima Bande.
The commissioners stated that the closure of both public, private and state-owned tertiary institutions had become necessary following the recent cases of attacks in parts of the state.
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They listed the affected tertiary institutions to include State Polytechnic Dakingari, Kebbi University of Science and Technology, Aliero, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Jega, and College of Education, Argungu.
The commissioners, however, stated that the only institution not affected was the College of Nursing Sciences and Midwifery, located in the state capital, Birnin Kebbi.
The officials urged all institutions’ management to comply with the state government’s directives and advised them to remain calm, as a new resumption date would be communicated in due course.
Kebbi has witnessed many cases of insecurity, including the kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls from a school in the state last week.
Previous shutdowns
PREMIUM TIMES reports that neighbouring Katsina State announced the closure of its schools on Friday.
“The directive, issued by the Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Yusuf Suleiman-Jibiya, applies to all public, private and community schools operating within the state,” the Public Relations Officer of the Katsina State Ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education, Sani Danjuma, said in a statement.
Plateau, in north-central Nigeria, also announced on Friday the closure of all its primary and junior secondary schools.
“All Government Junior Model Secondary Schools will close effective Saturday, November 22, while all Primary and Day Schools will close effective Monday, November 24,” the Plateau government said.
Also on Friday, the Nigerian government announced the closure of 47 of its federal secondary schools, commonly referred to as Unity Schools.
In Yobe State, north-east Nigeria, the state government, on Sunday, announced the closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state.
Insecurity
The school closures occur amidst the rising attacks in the country by armed persons on schools, religious houses and security officials.
Most of the attacks have occurred in the northern part of the country, which houses 19 of the 36 states in Nigeria.
On Monday, armed men invaded the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko/Wasagu area of Kebbi State, north-west Nigeria, abducting at least 24 schoolgirls and killing the school’s vice principal.
On Friday, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s School, a Catholic mission school in Agwara, Niger State, north-central Nigeria, and abducted over 300 students and staff.
On Tuesday, gunmen attacked a church in Eruku, Kwara State, north-central Nigeria, killing at least two worshippers and abducting several others.
Terrorists in the north-eastern Borno State also recently ambushed a military team and killed a brigadier-general and four security officials.
Several armed groups with different motives operate in the country.
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The worsening security situation informed the decision of President Bola Tinubu to cancel his trip to South Africa to attend the G2O summit.
The presidency said on Friday that Mr Tinubu had to “cancel his departure and delegated Mr Shettima to represent him, as he remains in Nigeria to receive security briefings following the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi and the attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.”
