ABUJA – Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has suspended the Education Mandate Secretary and initiated disciplinary action against directors for issuing an unauthorized school closure directive, calling the action “unimaginable” and declaring that Abuja faces no security threat justifying such panic.
The Minister’s sharp rebuke came during an infrastructure inspection tour on Wednesday, following Tuesday’s circular that ordered all government schools in the FCT to close by Friday, November 28, 2025.
“I was watching television last night and I saw a report that the FCT has directed schools to shut down. I couldn’t believe it,” Wike stated. “I later confirmed that a circular went out without our approval. It is unimaginable how people could take such a decision without the head of affairs knowing.”
The Minister announced the indefinite suspension of the Education Mandate Secretary and sanctions for directors involved in issuing the circular without authorization. He emphasized that comprehensive security checks had revealed no threats to FCT schools.
“We don’t have such a threat that will make us shut down schools,” Wike stressed. “I even called the Commissioner of Police and other security authorities. This was not in their agenda.”
Dismissing suggestions that officials might have acted preventively, the Minister questioned: “How could you have taken such an action in anticipation? Even I cannot do that without informing the President. This is the FCT. Do you know what message that sends? That Abuja is unsafe?”
Wike assured residents that security agencies maintain full control and that schools would operate normally. “The security agencies are doing everything to ensure schools operate normally,” he said, adding a stern warning: “We will not forgive anybody involved in this.”
The swift reversal and disciplinary actions highlight the administration’s sensitivity to perceptions of insecurity in the nation’s capital while exposing significant communication breakdowns within the FCT education bureaucracy.
