Taraba Closes All Boarding Houses in Secondary Schools over Heightened Insecurity

Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has directed all public and private secondary schools in the state to immediately discontinue their boarding operations as part of urgent measures to protect students amid rising insecurity nationwide.

The order was contained in a statement released on Friday by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Augustina Godwin. She explained that the decision became necessary due to the worsening security situation across the country, which has increasingly made boarding students vulnerable to abductions.

The commissioner cited recent kidnapping incidents involving students in Kebbi and Niger states as examples of the growing threat.

Dr. Godwin noted that Governor Kefas has instructed that all secondary schools—whether government-owned or privately run—are to operate strictly as day schools until further notice. She added that principals and school proprietors have been mandated to begin the immediate deboarding of students to ensure their safety.

“In view of the prevailing security realities, Governor Kefas has directed that every secondary school in Taraba State should function solely as a day school for now. School heads and proprietors have been urged to waste no time in carrying out the deboarding process,” the statement read.

She emphasized that the move is a preventative measure aimed at averting potential security breaches and safeguarding the lives of students across the state.

According to her, the state government has assured parents and guardians of its continued efforts to restore peace and stability. She added that authorities will maintain close cooperation with security agencies to monitor the situation and implement further protective strategies as needed.

School administrators have also been advised to fully adhere to the directive and strengthen security vigilance within their premises.