The management of Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology in Aliero, Kebbi State, has ordered an immediate and total shutdown of the institution, forcing a rapid evacuation of all students and staff from campus .
In an official memo issued by the Office of the Registrar, the university directed all students to leave the premises within one hour of the announcement. The notice stated that the institution’s Security Division has been tasked with evacuating any student found in hostels or other restricted areas on campus . The directive affects postgraduate, undergraduate, diploma, remedial, and IJMB students. Students living in off-campus areas like Gidan Rami were also advised to vacate their residences to avoid what the memo termed “embarrassment” by university security personnel . While the official communication did not specify a reason for the sudden closure, credible sources indicate it is likely connected to heightened security threats affecting educational institutions across northern Nigeria . The registrar, Maimaro Tilli, signed the notice, confirming the shutdown would remain in effect until further notice .
This sudden university closure is part of a much larger security crisis gripping northern Nigeria. Just days ago, 26 schoolgirls were abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State. In that attack, the vice principal was shot dead and the principal was left with a gunshot wound . The situation escalated further when gunmen attacked St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in the Papiri community of Niger State. That overnight attack resulted in the abduction of 215 students and 12 teachers . Witnesses reported the bandits stormed the school on over 100 motorcycles .
In response to the escalating threats, the Federal Government ordered the closure of 41 Unity Colleges across the country . The decision was announced in a circular from the Federal Ministry of Education, with the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, approving the shutdown to prevent security breaches . The list of closed federal schools includes institutions in states across the North-West, North-East, North-Central, and some parts of the South .
Multiple state governments have also taken action. The Niger State government ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools in the Niger North Senatorial District as a precaution . The Plateau State Government announced the immediate closure of basic schools across the state. Richard Jonah, a spokesman for the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board, said the government was being proactive to prevent attacks . The Katsina State Government also closed all public schools across the state. The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Jibia, said protecting lives and property was the top priority, even though students were currently writing examinations . Similarly, Kwara State shut schools across four local government areas: Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun and Ekiti . In Benue State, the Nigeria Union of Teachers chairman said about 50 public schools have been shut down, some for the past two years, due to persistent insecurity .
The Northern States Governors’ Forum expressed deep concern over the Niger school abduction, calling it a disturbing and unacceptable attack on children's safety . The Forum's Chairman, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya of Gombe State, reiterated that schools must remain safe centers of learning. The forum warned that northern Nigeria cannot afford further setbacks in its effort to reduce the number of children not attending school .
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State to coordinate efforts to rescue the abducted schoolgirls . The President also postponed planned trips to Johannesburg and Angola due to the crisis . Upon arrival in Kebbi, Matawalle moved straight into a closed-door meeting with top security chiefs to review intelligence and strengthen coordination of the search-and-rescue operations .
Data from the National Financing Plan for Safe Schools reveals the scale of the vulnerability. The report shows that more than 42,000 primary and secondary schools across northern Nigeria lack perimeter fencing, leaving them exposed to security breaches . The plan, which covers 2023 to 2026, found that 4,270 secondary schools in 21 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory were unfenced. The situation is more severe at the primary school level, where 38,684 schools across the region have no perimeter fencing .
Meanwhile, a separate threat to university education continues from ongoing disputes between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government. The ASUU Sokoto Zone has called on the government to honor existing agreements to avert another nationwide shutdown of public universities . The union recently suspended a warning strike but has warned it will resume industrial action if the government fails to address their demands, which include better welfare for lecturers and improved university funding . Professor Abubakar Sabon, the Zonal Coordinator, expressed frustration over the government’s inconsistent and inadequate approach to negotiations. He said the proposed salary increases are grossly inadequate and will not stop the brain drain that has hurt Nigeria’s universities for years .
As the security situation evolves, some states are opting for increased protection rather than closure. In Sokoto and Kebbi states, officials have pledged to strengthen security around schools as students prepare for end-of-term examinations . The Chief Press Secretary to the Kebbi State Governor, Ahmed Idris, confirmed that Governor Nasir Idris had directed security agencies to increase surveillance around schools. He stated that with the security arrangements made, learning activities would continue smoothly until the term ends in a few weeks .
The closure of Abdullahi Fodio University and dozens of other schools marks a severe disruption to education in northern Nigeria. It highlights the persistent security challenges facing the region and the difficult balance between keeping students safe and ensuring their learning continues.