- Gombe ordered all schools closed this week over rising security threats.
- The government said the measure is to protect students and teachers statewide.
- A taskforce will assess schools as kidnappings surge across northern Nigeria.
Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya has ordered all schools across the state to close on or before Friday as a precautionary response to rising security threats targeting educational institutions in northern Nigeria.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the directive was announced on Monday by the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Esrom Toro, during a meeting with Local Education Secretaries at the SUBEB headquarters in Gombe.
The decision follows a series of violent attacks and mass abductions of students and teachers in recent weeks.
Toro explained that the governor’s action was prompted by nationwide concerns over assaults on schools. He said, “His Excellency, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has directed that all schools should be closed on or before Friday, 28th November 2025.
This is purely a cautionary measure to safeguard the lives of our pupils, students, teachers, and school administrators.”
He stressed that the closure was not a sign of panic but a proactive effort to prevent “any ugly incident.” Toro added, “Governor Inuwa Yahaya remains fully committed to protecting the people of Gombe State. We urge parents not to panic. Government is doing everything possible to curtail insecurity and ensure our children are safe.”
He also instructed schools to complete all ongoing examinations before the closure. “Examinations should be conducted between today and Friday. Schools must complete all pending assessments before closure,” he said.
Toro further announced that a Taskforce Committee on School Revitalisation would soon begin statewide assessments of selected schools. Education Secretaries were asked to update records for institutions under their supervision. “All Education Secretaries must ensure they have accurate and up to date information on every school under their jurisdiction.
The taskforce committee will be visiting selected schools to assess, analyse, and make recommendations for revitalisation,” he said. He noted that the assessments form part of broader reforms to improve basic education in the state.
The directive comes after a surge in school kidnappings. On November 21, 2025, gunmen abducted 303 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School in Niger State. Days earlier, 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kebbi State, where the vice principal was killed.
The Federal Government has closed 47 Unity Colleges, while states like Katsina and Bauchi have also shut public schools to prevent similar attacks.
