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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has firmly denied circulating any official directive to close all government schools in the FCT by November 28, calling the reports “false and misleading”.
The controversy surfaced following the release of a circular that wrongly instructed early school closure, sparking confusion among parents and students.
The letter announcing the school closure dated 25 November 2025 was signed by Director, School Services, Aishatu Sani Alhassan on behalf of Director/Secretary, SEB.
Mandate Secretary for Education, Dr Danlami Hayyo, who was named in connection with the circular, quickly refuted the claim late Tuesday. Addressing the press, he said: “Seriously, the way you saw the circular is the same way that I see the circular, which I believe is a wrong circular because the director that signed the circular has no right to do that.
“In the FCT administration, you can only close schools with the approval of the Honourable Minister of FCT. He’s the only person that can direct the closure of schools due to one reason or the other. But we never had any information, I never received any approval from the Honourable Minister and I never see (sic) anything like that that warrants closure of schools on or before Friday 28th.”
Hayyo urged parents to disregard the erroneous circular and reassured the public: “There is no cause for alarm. FCT schools are safe, and teaching and learning are continuing effectively without any distraction.”
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But in a swift reaction to the development, in response to the incident, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, issued a statement confirming the immediate suspension of Hayyo:
“The Mandate Secretary for Education, Dr Danlami Hayyo, has been suspended with immediate effect following the circulation of the fake circular.
The Acting Head of Service, Mrs Nancy Sabanti-Nathan, has also been mandated to discipline the Director, School Services, Mrs Aishatu Sani Alhassan, who signed the questionable circular, in accordance with civil service rules.”
Olayinka emphasised that no official decision on school closure was taken at any level in the administration, declaring: “The approved academic calendar remains unchanged. We urge parents, students, and school authorities to dismiss this rumour.”
He further assured residents of the FCT of ongoing safety measures: “The Minister has directed the resumption of Operation Sweep and other security initiatives to ensure adequate protection for our schools and communities.”
