Nigeria government denies closing schools nationwide after terror attacks in Kebbi and Niger

The Federal Education Ministry has dismissed a rumor circulating that it has directed schools across the country to close from November 24, 2025.

In a press statement issued on November 22, 2025, the Ministry of Education said the information was “false, misleading and does not originate from the federal government, the Federal Ministry of Education, any state ministry of education or any recognized security agency”.

The disclaimer, signed by Director of Press and Public Relations Boriowo Folasade, urged the public to stop sharing unverified notifications that may cause unnecessary panic.

The statement said the ministry advises Nigerians to rely only on information released through legitimate government channels.

“The public is strongly advised to rely strictly on verified information released through the following official channels: the federal government, federal education ministry, state governments and state education ministries and recognized security agencies,” it said.

The ministry further warned people against the dangers of misinformation, urging citizens to verify before spreading any school-related announcements.

“Any announcement, advisory or notification from unofficial or unverified sources should be ignored and not shared,” the statement warned, adding that the public must help “curb the spread of misinformation.”

Armed terrorists on Friday attacked St. Mary Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School in Agwara Local Government Area of ​​Niger State and abducted an unknown number of students and teachers, SaharaReporters has learned.

Multiple community sources who visited the school after the attack confirmed the intrusion, saying it was a coordinated operation that lasted between 2am and 3am.

The incident was also confirmed by the Head of Disaster and Relief of Agwara Local Government, Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, and the Media Assistant to the Chairman of Agwara Local Government, Bello Guidi.

Speaking to SaharaReporters, Guidi said: “Yes, bandits did kidnap students and teachers of St. Mary Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School in Agwara Local Government Area of ​​Niger State.”

He further revealed the scale of the attack, saying: “The information we received is that they kidnapped more than 100 students and teachers. And the school is co-ed.”

However, SaharaReporters noted that the exact number of abductees remains unclear.

Community members who spoke to SaharaReporters said the attackers took away “more than a dozen” children, but the numbers circulating locally have not been independently confirmed.