By Caleb Jacob and Nura Haruna Mudi
Despite the 2024 launch of the Safe School Initiative and the declaration of a state of emergency on education, public schools across Kano State remain dangerously exposed, with little to no security presence.
The result: widespread vandalism, declining enrolment and a growing crisis in the state’s already fragile education system.
Facilities of many schools have been looted and destroyed, classrooms stripped bare, and thousands of students forced to abandon their education.
Investigations by Grassroots Parrot reveal a systemic failure to implement the very measures that were supposed to keep schools safe.
Guards Speak Out: “We Are Left to Die Defending These Schools”
At Government College Kano (KTC), long-time guard Sanusi Dankoli Fagge recalled how his colleague Abubakar Saraju resigned after surviving a brutal machete attack while on night duty at Government Senior Secondary School, Maikwatashi.
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“This job is not easy. I’ve been doing it for 10 years. We are risking our lives daily without protection or recognition,” Dankoli said, adding that none of the guards have received permanent employment despite repeated promises.
Guards deployed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs also lamented poor welfare and inadequate tools, some are armed only with blunt sticks while confronting armed gangs.
“We are vulnerable. The government promised firearms and food, but nothing has come. If things don’t change, many of us will resign by month-end,” one guard told Grassroots Parrot.
Over 1,600 Students Withdraw from GSS Maikwatashi
At Government Senior Secondary School, Maikwatashi, insecurity has driven enrolment down from 2,000 to under 400 students.
“They stole lab equipment, furniture, roofing materials—everything,” said Samuel Mbadiwe, a volunteer caretaker. “I built a makeshift fence, but they tore it down the same night.”
The school’s Old Students Association, represented by Ifeanyi Chinwuba and Kabiru Nuhu, described the facility as a “criminal hideout” and warned parents to keep their children away.
“If the government hadn’t abandoned this school, it wouldn’t have come to this. Nothing is safe—not even the generator. We’re losing the fight against out-of-school children,” Chinwuba said.
Nearby, Mrs. Gloria Michael, a concerned neighbour, has resorted to hiding school materials in her home to protect them from thieves.
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“There’s no security here. I won’t let my own child attend this school. It’s not just unsafe—it’s collapsing,” she said.
Zawa’i Primary School: Wiped Off the Map
At Zawa’i Primary School, criminals have reduced the entire school to rubble. Books, desks, even blackboards and iron rods have been stolen.
Grassroots Parrot visited the ruins located within the Maikwatashi school complex and confirmed the total destruction of the decades-old institution.
At Kano Commercial School, staff appeals finally led to the deployment of 50 vigilantes. But the damage had already been done: over 58 windows, lab tools, and a borehole donated under the AGILE Project were vandalized after criminals breached the school’s broken fence.
Government Reacts: “We’re Working On It”
In May 2025, Governor Abba Yusuf announced the recruitment of 17,600 school security guards to be deployed across all 44 LGAs.
However, NSCDC spokesperson SP Ibrahim Abdullahi admitted that full deployment is yet to begin.
“We haven’t deployed to all schools yet. But our men patrol high-risk zones, especially those near border areas,” he said.
Kano State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ali Makoda, acknowledged the severity of the situation but assured that the government is acting.
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“We receive reports of theft daily. Security guards are being deployed, and fencing is ongoing across LGAs. This initiative has started, and we’re working tirelessly,” he said.
Will Things Change Before Schools Resume?
With schools scheduled to reopen in September, stakeholders are urging the state to move beyond promises and deliver real protection.
From abandoned classrooms to shattered futures, the cost of delay is already too high and rising.
See videos of the vandalized schools below: