Federal Government Orders Closure of 47 Unity Schools After Mass Abductions
Federal authorities have ordered the immediate closure of 47 Federal Unity Colleges across the country, a sweeping move triggered by a series of school abductions that have shaken the nation and stirred a fresh wave of anxiety in northern communities. The directive, issued on 21 November by the Ministry of Education, instructs principals to send students home without delay, a decision that carries the weight of an institution admitting the danger pressing at its doors. The shutdown follows two devastating incidents that unfolded within days. In Kebbi State, armed men invaded a girls secondary school in Maga and seized a number of students in a manner that left the community frozen in fear. The shock had barely settled before another attack struck St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, where hundreds of pupils and several teachers were taken away in the early hours, disappearing into the uncertainty that has become all too familiar in parts of the region. Officials in Niger had reportedly received intelligence warnings about possible attacks on vulnerable institutions, yet the assailants struck with the confidence of men who understood the gaps in the country’s defensive posture. The abductions have amplified public frustration and renewed scrutiny of the government’s ability to protect schoolchildren, especially in areas long battered by insecurity. The closure order has already set off a chain reaction. Boarding schools in Katsina have been shut as a precaution, and administrators in other northern states are reviewing their own safety plans. For many parents, collecting their children from school brings a measure of relief, but it also reinforces the painful recognition that classrooms have become contested spaces in a conflict that shows little sign of easing. Across the affected regions, the chalkboards have been wiped clean as the country waits for answers, hoping that this pause in learning does not become the prelude to an even more troubling chapter.
| 2025-11-22 11:17:52