Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas on Friday ordered all public and private secondary schools in the state to deboard their students, citing growing insecurity across Nigeria.
The directive, announced in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin, comes amid a series of student abductions in northern Nigeria, including recent attacks in Kebbi and Niger states.
“All secondary schools, public and private, are to operate strictly as day schools until further notice,” the statement said. Principals and school proprietors have been instructed to deboard students immediately.
The measure is aimed at protecting students from potential kidnappings, the statement added, while the state government assured parents it was working closely with security agencies to restore stability.
On Friday, several students were reportedly abducted from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, in an overnight raid. Details of the incident remain unclear, but local sources confirmed multiple students were taken.
The attack follows a similar incident in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were kidnapped earlier this week, intensifying concerns over the safety of schoolchildren in the region.