The Federal Ministry of Education has dismissed a message circulating, claiming that schools nationwide have been instructed to shut down from 24 November 2025.
In a press statement issued on 22 November 2025, the Ministry described the message as “false, misleading, and one that did not originate from the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Education, any State Ministry of Education or any recognised security agency.”
The disclaimer, signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations, urged the public to desist from sharing unverified notices that could cause unnecessary panic.
According to the statement, the Ministry advised Nigerians to rely solely on information released through legitimate government channels.
“The public is strongly advised to rely strictly on verified information issued through the following official channels: The Federal Government, The Federal Ministry of Education, State Governments and State Ministries of Education, and recognised security agencies,” it said.
The Ministry further cautioned against the dangers of misinformation, urging citizens to verify any school-related announcements before circulating them.
“Any announcement, advisory, or notice coming from unofficial or unverified sources should be ignored and not shared,” the statement warned, adding that members of the public must help “curb the spread of misinformation.”
On Friday, armed terrorists stormed St. Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting an unspecified number of students and teachers, SaharaReporters learnt.
Multiple community sources who visited the school after the attack confirmed the invasion, describing it as a coordinated operation that lasted between 2am and 3am.
Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, the Head of Disaster and Relief for Agwara Local Government, also confirmed the incident, alongside Bello Gidi, media aide to the chairman of Agwara Local Government.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, Gidi said: “Yes it’s true that bandits have kidnapped students and teachers at St. Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School Papiri, Agwara LGA, Niger State.”
He further revealed the scale of the attack, stating: “The information that is reaching us is that they have kidnap over 100 students and teachers. Also the school is a mixed school boys and girls.”
However, SaharaReporters noted that the exact number of abducted persons remains unclear.
Community members who spoke to SaharaReporters said the attackers whisked away “more than a dozen” children, but the figures circulating locally had not been independently verified.