The Federal Government has ordered the immediate closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges over rising security concerns.

The directive was issued through a circular dated November 21, 2025, from the Federal Ministry of Education.

According to the document, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, approved the shutdown following “recent security challenges” in parts of the country and the need to prevent breaches.

The circular asked principals of affected schools to enforce the closure without delay. The 41 schools are in states across the North-West, North-East, North-Central, and parts of the South.

“Sequel to the recent security challenges in some parts of the country and the need to prevent any security breaches, the Honourable Minister of Education has approved the immediate closure of the listed Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) with immediate effect. Principals of affected Colleges are to ensure strict compliance,” the circular, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Abdulkadir, on behalf of the Minister, read in part.

See the full list:

1. FGGC MINJIBIR

2. FTC GANDUJE

3. FGGC ZARIA

4. FTC KAFANCHAN

5. FGGC BAKORI

6. FTC DAYI

7. FGC DAURA

8. FGGC TAMBUWAL

9. FSC SOKOTO

10. FTC WURNO

11. FGC GUSAU

12. FGC ANKA

13. FGGC GWANDU

14. FGC BIRNIN YAURI

15. FTC ZURU

16. FGGC KAZAURE

17. FGC KIYAWA

18. FTC HADEJIA

19. FGGC BIDA

20. FGC NEW-BUSSA

21. FTC KUTA-SHIRORO

22. FGA SULEJA

23. FGC ILORIN

24. FGGC OMUARAN

25. FTC GWANARA

26. FGC UGWOLAWO

27. FGGC KABBA

28. FTC OGUGU

29. FGGC BWARI

30. FGC RUBOCHI

31. FGGC ABAJI

32. FGGC POTISKUM

33. FGC BUNI YADI

34. FTC GASHUA

35. FTC MICHIKA

36. FGC GANYE

37. FGC AZARE

38. FTC MISAU

39. FGGC BAJOGA

40. FGC BILLIRI

41. FTC ZAMBUK

Renewed Attacks on Schools

The closure comes on the heels of rising security threats across the country, with two mass abductions of students taking place in recent days.

In Niger State, gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri on Friday, abducting an unspecified number of students. Witnesses said that the attackers rode over 60 motorcycles and shot the school’s gatekeeper, who sustained serious injuries.

Before that, assailants had seized 25 schoolgirls during an attack on a school in Maga town, Kebbi State.

Meanwhile, the rising tension sparked a rumour of the abduction of students in Nasarawa, claims police authorities in the state immediately dismissed.

The Nasarawa State Police Command described the report that two pupils were taken from St. Peter’s Academy in Rukubi as “false and not reflective of the true state of affairs”.

In response to the escalating threats, President Bola Tinubu directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi to oversee rescue operations.

Tinubu also postponed his planned trips to Johannesburg and Angola. The surge in school attacks and kidnappings has intensified insecurity across northern states, prompting urgent calls for coordinated action.

The renewed abduction of students is the latest in a series of kidnappings in learning institutions, dating back to 2014 when students were taken away in Chibok, Borno State.

Since then, there have been mass abductions of students across the country, especially in northern Nigeria.

Global bodies, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), have repeatedly condemned the kidnapping of students, asking Nigerian authorities to prioritise the safety of learners.