Schools in Edo State that were shut down over security concerns will reopen on Monday, June 15, 2026, the state government has announced.
The directive affects three secondary schools in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area: Ososo Grammar School, Ososo Comprehensive High School, and Makeke Secondary School. The schools were closed on June 9 after intelligence reports warned of a planned mass abduction of students in the Edo North senatorial district, according to a circular signed by the functioning permanent secretary of the Edo State Ministry of Education, Enodolomwanyi Otamere.
In a follow-up circular issued four days later, the government said it had reviewed the security situation and directed all affected public and private schools to resume normal academic and administrative activities from Monday, June 15, 2026. The state said the decision followed the rollout of stronger security measures in the affected communities.
School heads, proprietors, and education authorities have been told to prepare for the safe return of students and staff, and to keep working closely with security agencies, community leaders, and government officials to maintain a safe learning environment. The state government also urged parents and guardians to ensure their children return to school promptly.
The closure was triggered by a security alert from the Department of State Services (DSS). The agency said intelligence indicated that suspected bandits were planning to kidnap schoolchildren in Edo State, particularly in the Edo North senatorial district. The DSS said the alert came on June 4, 2026, after security operatives arrested a suspect, identified as Emmanuel Momidu, who was allegedly carrying out surveillance near a secondary school in Akoko-Edo .
The advisory, dated June 5, 2026, was sent to the Edo State commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) under reference number S.66/A/3972. The DSS recommended deploying security personnel to schools at risk, working with local vigilante groups and hunters, and increasing patrols in vulnerable areas.
Despite the closure, exams were not fully halted. The ministry said candidates taking the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) would still be allowed into schools to sit their papers, under tight security arrangements.
The threat in Edo comes amid a wider rise in attacks on schools across Nigeria. On May 15, armed kidnappers abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers from three schools in the Oriire area of Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Other northern states have also dealt with school-linked security incidents in recent months, including the abduction and later release of more than 200 students from a school in Niger State.
In response to the wider threat, Edo State has also moved to strengthen security on the ground. The state government has announced plans to hire 5,400 members of a local security corps across its 18 local government areas, with each council area required to recruit 300 members. The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Security and Public Safety, Festus Ebea, at a news conference in Benin. The state has also added 500 forest guards as part of the same security push.
Officials say the new measures, along with the deployment of extra security around the affected schools, formed the basis for the decision to reopen on Monday. The government has pledged to keep monitoring the situation and to act quickly if new threats emerge.
For now, students, teachers, and staff at the three affected schools are expected back in class on Monday morning, with security personnel stationed at the sites as part of the enhanced protection plan.