Less than 24 hours after armed men abducted more than 300 students from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago has ordered the closure of all schools across the state until after the New Year.
The directive, announced in Minna following a security and stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, affects every category of learning institution — public and private schools, Islamic and missionary schools, federal government colleges, as well as certain tertiary institutions, including schools of nursing and midwifery. Schools located in areas deemed security hotspots will remain shut indefinitely.
Addressing journalists, Governor Bago described the mass abduction as a tragedy that could have been prevented, but emphasized that his administration’s focus is now on securing the release of the abducted children, rather than engaging in blame trading.
“To forestall further occurrences, schools were expected to close for Christmas in about two weeks, but we cannot take any chances anymore,” Bago said. “We are closing all schools in Niger State — private, public, primary and secondary — until after the New Year, while schools in Niger North will remain closed until further notice.”
The governor also revealed that the exact number of abducted students, pupils, and teachers is yet to be officially confirmed.
“We have been seeing different figures in the media, but none are official. The DSS, police, and other security agencies are currently conducting a head count, and by the end of today, we will have the verified number,” he stated.
