FG, States Tighten Security Around Schools as New Academic Session Begins

The Federal Government and state governments have introduced fresh security measures around schools as pupils and students prepare to resume for the 2026/2027 academic session.

The measures are aimed at protecting learners, teachers, school workers and educational facilities from security threats, particularly in areas affected by attacks and other criminal activities.

According to the Federal Ministry of Education, security agencies had been mobilised to increase vigilance around Federal Unity Colleges and their surrounding communities ahead of the resumption scheduled for Monday, September 14, 2026.

The ministry said the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring that students and staff returned to school in a safe and conducive environment.

“The Federal Ministry of Education has reaffirmed that all Federal Unity Colleges nationwide will resume academic activities on Monday, September 14, 2026, as scheduled, assuring students, parents, guardians and other stakeholders that necessary arrangements are in place to support a safe, smooth and seamless commencement of the new academic session,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

It added that the security arrangements involved coordinated efforts with relevant security agencies to safeguard pupils, staff and school communities as academic activities resume.

The Education Minister, through a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, urged parents and guardians to remain calm and depend on official channels for information concerning the reopening of schools.

He also directed school authorities to maintain close contact with security agencies and other relevant authorities to ensure that the resumption is conducted in an orderly and secure manner.

The move by the Federal Government comes as some states are also strengthening security measures in schools, with authorities in Lagos, Oyo and Sokoto adopting different approaches based on the security situation in their respective areas.

In Lagos State, the government said it had stepped up measures to protect pupils and students ahead of the reopening of schools for the new academic year.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, urged members of the school community and residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with the government in identifying and reporting situations that could threaten the safety of learners and staff.

Alli-Balogun asked parents, pupils, students, teachers, school administrators and other stakeholders to promptly report security concerns, unsafe conditions, damaged facilities and health-related issues to the appropriate authorities.

He said the government was determined to make the safety, health and wellbeing of learners, teachers and other school workers a collective responsibility.

“The new session provides another opportunity to strengthen learning, discipline, character development, innovation and excellence across schools through shared commitment and collective responsibility,” he said.

The commissioner also urged schools to maintain clean and healthy learning environments, including functional water supply, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

He advised students to observe personal hygiene, wash their hands regularly, avoid littering, practise good respiratory hygiene and dispose of waste properly.

“Teachers, administrators and non-teaching staff are expected to lead by example by maintaining high standards of personal hygiene, environmental cleanliness and safety,” Alli-Balogun said.

The state’s model colleges are expected to resume on Sunday.

In Sokoto State, however, the government has decided that schools located in areas still affected by insecurity will not reopen until authorities are satisfied that it is safe for academic activities to resume.

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education said the new academic session would officially commence on Monday, but schools earlier shut because of insecurity would remain closed.

Boarding schools are scheduled to resume on Sunday, September 13, while academic activities in public and private schools are expected to begin the following day.

The ministry urged parents, guardians, School-Based Management Committees and Parent-Teacher Associations to ensure that students return promptly and orderly.

Teachers were also directed to commence academic activities immediately after resumption.

“The ministry’s inspectors will conduct monitoring visits to schools across the state to assess compliance with the approved resumption schedule and ensure that academic activities begin as planned,” the ministry said.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ahmad Ladan Ala, directed heads of agencies and parastatals under the ministry to monitor the reopening process and ensure that schools begin the session smoothly.

Oyo State has taken its security measures further with the launch of a Safe School Initiative following a deadly attack on schools in Oriire Local Government Area earlier in the year.

The Oyo State Police Command said it was working with the Police Community Relations Committee to strengthen security around schools and improve the ability of communities to identify and report threats.

The initiative was launched on Friday alongside activities marking the 42nd anniversary of the Police Community Relations Committee in the state.

According to the command’s spokesman, Ayanlade Olayinka, the programme is designed to increase police visibility around schools, protect pupils, students and staff, secure school infrastructure and improve community-based intelligence gathering.

The police are also strengthening their engagement with the PCRC Safe School Club, school proprietors, administrators, PTAs, teachers, parents and students.

Ayanlade said the partnership would provide a framework for identifying and preventing threats before they escalate.

“These engagements are aimed at establishing a collaborative security framework for the early identification, reporting and prevention of threats within and around schools,” he said.

“The Oyo State Police Command recognises that sustainable school safety is a collective responsibility.

“Consequently, continuous engagement with stakeholders remains central to identifying security concerns, strengthening preventive measures and ensuring that credible information reaches the Police early enough for appropriate intervention.”

He added that personnel deployed to protect schools had been instructed to remain vigilant, maintain regular contact with school communities and respond quickly to credible security information.

“The Command will continue to leverage intelligence-led policing, strategic community engagement and proactive security measures to anticipate and prevent threats to schools and their occupants,” he said.

The command urged school proprietors, administrators, teachers, parents, students and members of the public to report suspicious persons, vehicles, movements and activities around schools.

“The Command particularly encourages everyone to ‘SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING,’” Ayanlade said.

He explained that early reporting could give security agencies the information required to prevent attacks before they occurred.

The heightened security measures in Oyo followed the May 15, 2026 attack on Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School in Esiele and L.A. Primary School, all in Oriire Local Government Area.

About 48 pupils and teachers were abducted during the attack.

One of the abducted teachers was reportedly beheaded by the terrorists after they demanded the release of some terrorists held in custody. The government rejected the demand.

The remaining abductees were eventually released on July 10, 56 days after they were taken into captivity.

The incident has added to concerns over the safety of schools in parts of Nigeria, where attacks and abductions have previously disrupted education.

The security concerns also bring back memories of the April 2014 abduction of students from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram terrorists.