Parents, Governors Grapple With School Safety as Kidnappings Rise

As the wave of kidnappings in Nigeria intensifies, state governments are ordering widespread closures of schools, triggering deep concern about the safety of students, the continuity of learning, and the toll on parents who must choose between education and security.

Where and Why Schools Are Closing

A surge of recent abductions, including the kidnapping of 315 students and teachers in Niger State, has prompted authorities in several states to suspend school operations.  In Niger State, Governor Mohammed Bago has directed that all schools across the state shut down until further notice, particularly in areas deemed “vulnerable to bandit attacks.”

In Taraba State, similar mood-change orders have been issued: the governor is mandating that secondary schools operate as day-schools only, instructing boarding facilities to close temporarily.  Authorities cite both the mass kidnapping in Niger and rising regional insecurity as justification.

This precautionary approach mirrors decisions taken in other states, such as Kwara, where recent church attacks and kidnapping threats have prompted school suspensions in multiple districts.

Parental Fear and Community Anxiety

Across affected states, parents are grappling with agonizing decisions. For many, sending children to school has become a gamble one that risks abduction. The uncertainty is paralyzing:

• Some are withdrawing children from boarding schools entirely, fearing long journeys and isolation in rural hostels.
• Others are demanding daily security briefings, insisting on community-led watch groups, and calling for more visible military and police presence.
• Civil society groups and parent–teacher associations have launched petitions, urging state governments to guarantee protection before reopening school campuses.

Economic and Social Fallout

School closures ripple far beyond education. Many parents particularly in low-income communities rely on schools for childcare so they can work. With campuses closed, parents face the dual burden of caring for children and potentially losing income.

Private school operators are also feeling the pinch. Owners report mounting financial losses as enrollment falls, yet operational costs including security and overheads remain. Some warn that prolonged shuttering could force permanent closures of schools struggling to stay afloat.

Meanwhile, teachers face uncertainty and unpaid salaries. With no guarantee of when or how schools will resume, many are questioning the viability of remaining in the profession. For students, prolonged disruption risks learning loss, especially in exam-year classes.

Security Response & Controversy

State governments defend the closures as urgent, temporary measures. But critics argue the policy could backfire unless paired with genuine security reform:

• Delayed Rescue vs Proactive Protection: Some say government strategy is reactive closing schools only after attacks instead of proactively safeguarding at-risk zones.
• Overburdened Security Forces: Law enforcement in hotspot areas is already stretched thin, raising doubts about their capacity to protect schools long-term.
• Need for Community Engagement: Experts highlight the importance of local vigilance groups, parent associations, and community policing in detecting and deterring threats.

In response to the crisis, civil society coalitions are pushing for a national school-protection task force. Their proposal includes:

1. Real-time risk mapping using satellite data and community informants.
2. Deployment of “safe school” rapid response teams drawn from military, police, and local volunteers.
3. Secure transport corridors for children in high-risk zones.
4. Funding for perimeter security and boarding security infrastructure.

Political and Governance Implications

School closures carry political risk. Governors who shut down schools face mounting pressure from parents and businesses. At the same time, they are asking the federal government and security agencies to respond more decisively.

Opposition lawmakers argue that if education is a priority, the government must pair closures with a national plan, not leave states to act as a piecemeal. There are calls for a national debate on how to protect children and re-estimate schooling safely.

Voices on the Ground

• Parent Testimony: “I support the closure but I am terrified. How can I work if my child is home? What if the attackers don’t stop?” said one mother in Taraba.
• Teacher Perspective: “We desperately want to return, but not at the risk of our lives or those of our students.”
• Community Leader: A local chief in Niger State estimated that community-led night watches are stepping up patrols and lobbying traditional hunters to help deter raids.

What Must Happen Next

1. Rescue & Recovery: Security agencies must fast-track safe-release operations for abducted victims.
2. Long-Term School Protection: Establish a robust national policy and funding mechanism to make all schools safer.
3. Accelerated Reform: Prioritize intelligence reform, community engagement, and inter-agency coordination.
4. Education Continuity: Distribute remote learning tools and design catch-up programs for students once campuses reopen.

The mass kidnappings and escalating insecurity in Nigeria are not just transient episodes they represent a structural breakdown in protection for children and education systems. As states shut down schools in response, they also signal a growing crisis of confidence.

For parents, students, and educators, the shutdowns are a bitter but necessary calculation a way to preserve safety even while learning is disrupted. For the government and security agencies, the challenge is existential: protect the vulnerable, reform institutions, and ensure that the classroom is no longer a place of fear.

If Nigeria fails to act now, the cost may not only be the life of children but the future of its next generation.