The Plateau State Government has announced the immediate shutdown of all basic schools across the state following heightened fears over possible security threats.
Confirming the development in an interview with The PUNCH on Friday, the Public Relations Officer of the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board Richard Jonah, said the government was taking precautionary steps to prevent attacks similar to those recently recorded in other parts of the country.
“You are aware that there have been attacks on schools in some states,” Jonah noted. “Here in Plateau, the government is acting proactively because we don’t want anything like that to happen.
The closure is temporary and will give the government time to strengthen security measures before classes resume.”
According to a statement released by PSUBEB, Government Junior Model Secondary Schools are to shut down beginning Saturday, November 22, 2025, while all primary and day schools will close on Monday, November 24, 2025.
The board described the decision as a necessary step to address “urgent security concerns,” assuring parents and community members that the government was prioritising the safety of students.
“This closure is a temporary but necessary action to forestall potential threats and reassure our communities that the safety of learners remains a top priority,” the statement read.
It further called on school administrators, Local Government Education Authorities, and community leaders to remain watchful and cooperate with authorities during the period.
A resident of Shendam Local Government Area, Moses Jeremiah, said students of Government Secondary School, Shendam, were dismissed after reports circulated about a possible attack.
“I have a child in GSS Shendam. He returned home this morning. They were told to go home because Boko Haram allegedly sent a message saying they would attack on Sunday,” he claimed.
However, The PUNCH noted that it could not independently verify the reported threat.
When contacted on the matter, the Police Public Relations Officer for Plateau State, SP Alfred Alabo, said the command had not received any official report of threats to schools.
“You are just informing me now,” he said. “I cannot comment on the closure until I get a proper briefing.”
The closure of schools in Plateau comes less than a day after gunmen abducted several students from a Catholic school in Niger State — the second mass abduction targeting schools within one week. Earlier on Monday, armed men attacked a girls’ boarding school in Kebbi State, kidnapping 25 students and killing a vice-principal.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has urged Nigerians to support the military’s ongoing operations aimed at tackling insecurity. He made the call on Thursday during the Nigerian Army Civil-Military Cooperation Media Chat for the fourth quarter of 2025, held in Jos.
