…says no security threat in nation’s capital

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike on Wednesday insisted that those involved in the memo issued on Tuesday for the closure of schools in FCT would not be spared.

Wike described the development as unimaginable for a director to take such decision without the approval of higher authority.

The minister who spoke to reporters while inspecting infrastructure at A11, in Guzape area of the FCT, noted that President Bola Tinubu need to be informed before any school is shut down in the nation’s capital.

Wike said there was no security threat to warrant the closure of schools.

Recall, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday dismissed reports claiming that all government schools in the nation’s capital were ordered to shut down by November 28, 2025.

FCTA described the information as false and capable of destabilizing the peace in FCT.

According to the reports, the directive was given in a memo issued by Aishatu Sani Alhassan, Director of School Services, FCT Secondary Education Board.

The memo titled, “Urgent Need for Early Closure of Schools Due To Security Concerns,” ordered principals and heads of schools to end all academic activities and ensure students were dismissed in an orderly manner.

Following the development, in a statement on Tuesday evening, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the FCT minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said no directive for early closure was issued at any level of the administration.

He insisted the academic calendar remains unchanged and urged parents, students, and school authorities to ignore the rumour.

This lead to the immediate suspension of the Mandate Secretary for Education, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, over the controversy.

Wike, who was sad with the situation said, “Well, you know in the system, sometimes you get baffled. And that’s why it’s important for one to be current.

“I was watching television last night and I saw a school, that FCT has directed that schools should be shut down. I couldn’t believe it, so I had to call the Mandate Secretary of Education and of course, he couldn’t reply then I had to get to the details.

“I got to know that the circular was issued to all the schools without our approval. And I know that we’re having a Security Council meeting today.

“I called the Commissioner of Police and I called other necessary authorities. I said, who did this? and they said, It’s not in their agenda and there’s no way because we don’t have such a threat that will make us shut down the schools.

“So because of that, the Mandate Secretary of Education has been suspended indefinitely and the Directors who were involved would be sanctioned according to civil service rules. But it’s unimaginable how people could take such a decision without the head of the affairs knowing. It’s very unfortunate.

“How could you have taken such an action in anticipation? I mean, even I cannot do that without letting the President know. This is the FCT. Do you know what that tells? That there’s insecurity in FCT.

“Kaduna has never shut down, Nassarawa has never shut down, And Kogi never shut down. So how will you say we were threatened? The security do everything they can to make sure that the schools are safe. But we will not forgive anybody who is involved in this”. (THE NATION)

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