Public and private schools in Nigeria's Niger State will resume operations on January 12. They were closed in November 2025 due to mass kidnappings of students, according to a statement from the state's Ministry of Education.
"This decision follows a thorough risk assessment and consultations with relevant security agencies. All public and private day and boarding schools located in insecure or hazardous areas will remain temporarily closed until the appropriate security agencies conduct a proper assessment," the statement reads.
In December of last year, the Nigerian government secured the release of all students kidnapped from St. Mary's Catholic School on November 21. The attack on the school in Niger State occurred on November 21. Initially, reports indicated that terrorists had abducted between 50 and 100 students. Later, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed the kidnapping of 315 individuals—303 students and 12 teachers. The day after the abduction, 50 schoolchildren managed to escape from captivity.
In November, armed individuals attacked a public girls' boarding school in Maga, Kebbi State, Nigeria, killing the deputy principal and kidnapping 25 students, one of whom later escaped. Following this, President Bola Tinubu placed security forces on the highest alert, ordering them to intensify operations to eliminate terrorists and criminal networks across the country. At the end of November, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the country due to the increasing number of kidnappings.
Nigeria has suffered from terrorist attacks and bandit activities for many years, particularly in the country's northeast. The insurgent group Boko Haram, which emerged in Nigeria in 2009, remains highly active in the region. The ensuing conflict, involving other jihadist groups, has resulted in over 40,000 deaths and the displacement of approximately 2 million people.
