Ganduje orders immediate closure of all public and private schools as COVID-19 returns 

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private schools in the state.

The Kano State Commissioner of Education, Sanusi Kiru, who disclosed this to Channels Television on Tuesday evening, said the state government also closed down “all public and private health training institutions, including schools of basic/postbasic nursing and midwifery, schools of health technology and school of hygiene with immediate effect.”

The commissioner asked parents whose children are in boarding schools to pick them on Wednesday.

“His Excellency, The Executive Governor of Kano State has approved the closure of all public and Private Schools in the State with immediate effect,” he said.

“Parents whose children are in boarding schools are to also arrange and convey their children/ wards back home from tomorrow, Wednesday, 16th December 2020.”

Although the state government did not give the reason for the immediate closure, it is believed to be connected to the abduction of 333 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in neighbouring Katsina State on Friday night.

Following the unfortunate incident, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack, in what appears to be a major expansion of the jihadist group’s activities into new areas.

“I am Abubakar Shekau and our brothers are behind the kidnapping in Katsina,” the leader of Boko Haram said in a voice message.

More than 100 gunmen on motorcycles stormed the rural school north of Kankara town, forcing students to flee and hide in the surrounding bush.

The immediate closure of the schools comes three days to the end of the third term as schools in Kano were expected to vacate on Friday, December 18.