Kwara Orders Closure of College of Education over Insecurity, PDP Tasks Govt

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Kwara State Government, yesterday, ordered the immediate closure of the Kwara State College of Education, Oro, citing worsening security concerns in the area.

The closure of the College of Education, Oro, according to THISDAY checks, was not unconnected with  similar precautionary actions taken by the state government on the  relocation of the NYSC orientation camp from Yikpata in Edu Local Government Area of the state to Ilorin and the temporary shutdown of some schools in volatile areas of the state.

The development, it was gathered, came amid heightened security concerns across parts of Kwara South and North, where communities have recorded cases of banditry, kidnappings and other criminal activities in recent months.

However, the new  directive on the closure of the Kwara State College of Education, Oro was contained in an internal memo dated January 20, 2026, with reference number MOTE/CE/VOL.II/227, issued by the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology.

The memo, signed by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, directed the management of the institution to shut down academic activities with immediate effect, in line with the instruction of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

According to the document, “The decision followed growing security threats around the institution and formed part of the state government’s broader directive to close all schools within the affected local government area.

“The measure is taken in the best interest of the safety and security of staff, students and the surrounding community,” the memo read, adding that the closure would remain in force pending a comprehensive security review and further directives from the state government.

“You are hereby instructed to take immediate steps to direct the Management of the College to temporarily close the institution forthwith,” the memo stated, while mandating the school authorities to submit a report of compliance to the ministry without delay.

However, the decision has drawn criticisms from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which  urged the state government to take more precautionary security measures to curb insecurity in the state.

In a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the PDP described the closure of the institution as an admission of failure by the state government.

“The directive to shut down the College of Education, Oro, under the guise of insecurity shows that the government has no coherent strategy for tackling insecurity and has instead chosen to surrender to criminals,” the party said.

The PDP argued that the institution served as an economic and educational backbone for Kwara South, warning that its closure would further deepen hardship in the region.

“Education must not become the casualty of insecurity. A government that claims to be addressing security challenges cannot justify closing schools while markets and other public places remain open,” the statement added.