FEDERAL Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday suspended the Mandate Secretary for Education, Danlami Hayyo, after a controversial memo ordering the shutdown of government schools in Abuja circulated widely without approval from the minister.
News Point Nigeria reports that the memo, signed by Aishatu Sani Alhassan, Director of School Services directed all public senior secondary schools in the FCT to close “on or before Friday, November 28, 2025,” citing unspecified security concerns. Principals were instructed to end academic activities immediately and dismiss students “in an orderly and safe manner.”
The directive triggered anxiety among parents, teachers and students across the capital, many of whom feared an imminent security threat.
However, the FCT Administration swiftly disowned the memo, describing it as unauthorized and misleading.
In a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to the Minister, authorities dismissed the announcement as entirely false.
“The Federal Capital Territory Administration debunks the report that all government schools in the FCT were mandated to close by November 28, 2025,” he said. “No such decision was taken at any level of the administration.”
The statement clarified that the official academic calendar “remains intact and unaffected,” and urged school authorities and parents to ignore the circulating memo.
Angered by what officials described as a breach of protocol and a serious administrative infraction, Wike ordered the suspension of Danlami Hayyo, who oversees education policy in the FCT, pending the outcome of a full investigation.
Additionally, the minister directed the acting Head of Service, Nancy Sabanti Nathan, to commence disciplinary proceedings against Aishatu Alhassan under civil service rules.
Wike said the actions were necessary to prevent misinformation that could spark public panic, especially in a period of heightened national security sensitivity.
To reassure the public, the minister also ordered the immediate reinforcement of security around schools and communities within the FCT.
According to the statement, Operation Sweep and other ongoing coordinated security interventions would be intensified to strengthen surveillance, protect students and teachers, and maintain stability across the territory.
The FCTA reiterated its commitment to the safety of residents and transparency in information dissemination.