…227 students, teachers kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School – CAN
The federal government, Katsina, Plateau and Taraba States ordered the immediate closure of schools, a move underscoring the urgency of protecting children trapped on the frontlines of insecurity.
This comes two days after Kwara State Government directed the closure of schools across four Local government areas following escalating insecurity in the affected communities.
As fear spreads and security pressures mount, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who led Nigeria’s delegation of security leaders to the United States over President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ has met the United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.
The meeting, which was held at the Pentagon, saw both leaders discuss ways to make tangible progress on stopping alleged violence against Christians in Nigeria and combating West African jihadist terrorist groups. Hegseth emphasised the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians and conveyed the Department’s desire to work by, with, and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States.
A few days ago, about 25 girls of Girls Secondary School in Kebbi State were also abducted, leading to some advocates calling for a declaration of a state of emergency in security and kidnapping.
Reacting to the latest sad incident, the Niger State Government, while confirming the kidnap, claimed that the authorities of the St. Mary’s Private (Catholic) Secondary School, “ignored its security advisory” on the closure of schools in certain parts of the state as a result of insecurity.
However, security experts have urged the federal government to abrogate Nigeria’s outdated 1959 Firearms Act, arguing that the colonial-era legislation was no longer capable of addressing the country’s worsening insecurity, pointing out that law’s restrictive provisions have failed to curb the proliferation of sophisticated weapons in the hands of criminal groups, while enforcement gaps have left citizens vulnerable to banditry, terrorism, and violent crime.
For the Federal government, the order was for closure of 41 Federal Government Colleges (also known as Federal Unity Colleges) across the country.
In a statement late Friday by the Director, Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, she revealed that the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has ordered the immediate closure of the 41 schools to prevent security breaches.
The 41 affected schools include: FGGC Minjibir, FGC Ilorin, FTC Ganduje, FGGC Omuaran, FGGC Zaria, FTC Gwanara, FTC Kafanchan, FGC Ugwolawo, FGGC Bakori, FGGC Kabba, FTC Dati, FTC Ogugu, FGC Daura, FGGC Bwari, FGGC Tambuwal, FGC Rubichi, FSC Sokoto, FGGC Abaji and FTC Wurno.
Others are FGGC Potiskum, FGC Gusau, FGC Buni Yadi, FGC Anka, FTC Gashua FGGC Gwandu, FTC Michika, FGC Birnin Yauri, FGC Ganye, FTC Zuru, FGC Azare, FGC Kiyawa, FGGC Kazaure, FTC Misau FTC Hadejia, FGGC Bajoga, FGGC Bida, FGC BIlliri, FGC New Bussa, FTC Zambuk and FTC Kuta-Shiroro .
For Katsina, the directive was issued yesterday, by its Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Jibia, confirmed the shutdown in an interview with DW Hausa, saying it was a precautionary measure following recent attacks in neighbouring states.
Similarly, Plateau State Government ordered the immediate closure of basic schools across the State, saying it was a temporary measure to enable it adopt security measures to protect students.
“The Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB) has directed the immediate closure of schools across the state as follows: Government Junior Model Secondary Schools (GJMSSs) will close effective Saturday, 22 November 2025. Primary and Day Schools will close effective Monday, 24 November 2025. This decision is underscoring the urgent need for preventive action.
“The Board assures parents, guardians, and stakeholders that this closure is a temporary but necessary step to forestall potential threats and to reassure communities that the government is prioritising the well-being of our learners.”
For Taraba State, the government has ordered the immediate deboarding of students in all public and private secondary schools.
The directive, announced on Friday, comes after a security review triggered by recent attacks on boarding schools in Kebbi and Niger states.
Officials familiar with the assessment said the report placed boarding students among the most vulnerable targets amid the country’s ongoing insecurity.
Governor Agbu Kefas approved the measure as a temporary shift from boarding to day-school operations across the state.
In a statement, the Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation, Zainab Usman, said school principals and proprietors had been instructed to commence the deboarding process without delay and to notify parents and guardians accordingly.
Mrs Usman acknowledged that the decision may inconvenience families but said the state government is prioritising student safety as security agencies intensify wider interventions nationwide.
“This directive is a protective step taken in the best interest of every child in Taraba State,” she said.
CAN: 227 Students, Teachers Kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School
The Chairman, CAN Niger State, Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, confirmed that 227 persons including teachers were abducted by terrorists in yesterday morning raid on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri in Agwara local government area of the state.
Yohanna, in a statement e,-signed by Dan Atori, his media aide, stated: “From our record, 215 pupils and students including 12 teachers were abducted by the terrorists”.
He added: “I (Dr Yohanna)have just got back to the village this night after I visited the school where I also met with parents of the children to assure them that we are working with the government and security agencies to see that our children are rescued and brought back safely.
“From our record, 215 pupils and students including 12 teachers were abducted by the terrorists.
“It is worthy to note that, during the terrorists’ attack, some students escaped and parents have started coming to pick up their children as the school has to be shutdown.”
The CAN chairman called on everyone to “remain calm and prayerful and I also want to assure you that we are actively collaborating with security operatives, community leaders and government authorities for the safe and quick return of all abductees.
“May the Lord grant quick release to those abducted and continue to protect his people from all dangers” the clergyman said in the statement.”
11 students were reported to have escaped from the claws of the terrorists and have reunited with their parents.
The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) also called for a comprehensive review of the 1959 Firearms Act to strengthen the control of illicit arms in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NCCSALW, DIG Johnson Kokumo (Rtd), made the call during a recent workshop on the review of the Firearms Act in Abuja.
Kokumo had noted that while Nigeria had relied on a military framework for arms control for over six decades, global developments had rendered the existing legal framework inadequate. Pacesetter/ThisDay/Premium Times/Guardian