Zainab Ali
Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has ordered all private and public secondary schools in the state to immediately deboard their students as insecurity continues to worsen across the country.
The directive was announced in a statement issued on Friday, 21 November 2025, and signed by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin. She said the rising wave of attacks on schools nationwide had made boarding facilities potential targets for kidnappers, citing the recent abductions of students in Kebbi and Niger states.
According to Godwin, the governor has directed that all secondary schools—public and private—operate strictly as day schools until further notice. Principals and school proprietors have been instructed to enforce the deboarding of all students without delay.
“In light of the current circumstances, Governor Kefas has issued a directive requiring all secondary schools to function exclusively as day schools for the time being. Principals and school owners have been advised to promptly arrange for the deboarding of all students,” the statement read.
The commissioner added that the state government is committed to restoring normalcy and will continue to work with security agencies to address the situation. She urged school authorities to comply fully with the directive and maintain heightened vigilance.
The order came on the same day terrorists kidnapped several students from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. Details of the Friday attack remain unclear, but multiple sources told Daily Trust that several students were taken during the midnight raid.
The incident occurred just days after a similar attack in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were abducted, further escalating concerns about the deteriorating security situation in schools across the region.