The Nigerian government has announced the reopening of 47 unity schools that were temporarily shut down in November due to escalating insecurity, including mass abductions of students in Kebbi and Niger states.
Academic activities have fully resumed in these schools following the strengthening of security measures within and around the campuses.
The Federal Ministry of Education stated that the safety, welfare, and well-being of students remain its top priority, and it continues to collaborate with security agencies to ensure a stable and secure learning environment nationwide.
Many students have returned to their campuses, with some concluding their December academic programs and others having already completed their examinations.
The closure of these schools was a response to two major incidents: the abduction of at least 25 girls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi and over 100 pupils and teachers from St. Mary’s School in Niger State.
The government secured the release of 100 kidnapped pupils on December 7, but some students remain in captivity.
Background
Recall that a wave of panic earlier swept across Nigeria led the federal and state governments to order the immediate closure of hundreds of schools after a massive coordinated abduction of 227 students, alongside several teachers from a Catholic school in Niger State.
The security directives issued in November underscored a rapidly deteriorating security crisis in the country, representing one of the most significant governmental reactions to the escalating threat of terrorism targeting educational institutions.
The crisis began in Kebbi State, where attackers abducted at least 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, fatally shooting the school’s Vice Principal who attempted to defend the children.
The incidents have compelled governments to swing into effective action of ordering immediate shutdown of 47 Federal Unity Colleges, predominantly in the northern part of Nigeria.
The following week saw armed terrorists storming St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State.
The gunmen raided the facility, leading to what the Niger State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed to be the abduction of 215 pupils, and 12 teachers.