Thousands of secondary school students across several communities in Kwara North and parts of Kwara South are staring at the grim prospect of missing the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the forthcoming National Examination Council (NECO) examinations. NaijaChoice News investigations have uncovered how prolonged school closures triggered by escalating banditry and kidnapping fears have paralysed academic activities in vulnerable rural areas.
NaijaChoice News findings show that schools in hard-hit rural communities were forced to shut down abruptly as residents limited movement amid credible threats of attacks. This has left final-year students stranded, unable to finalise critical processes like online registration and biometric capturing for WAEC, even though many had already paid their examination fees.
In Ara community, Oyun Local Government Area, academic life has ground to a halt. Community sources who spoke to NaijaChoice News on Sunday evening painted a picture of total confusion.
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“The students were about to start biometric capturing when the schools were suddenly shut. Now students don’t even know what will happen next,” one resident said.
The sources revealed that although the Kwara State Government had ordered all schools to reopen, fresh threats from bandits a few weeks ago have kept most rural schools in Kwara South firmly closed. Teachers are refusing to risk their lives.
“Many parents have already paid for WAEC and NECO, but the students have not been briefed on any alternative arrangement about their registration. There is confusion everywhere,” the source added.
This situation persists despite the state government’s directive on February 1, 2026, by Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, announcing the reopening of all previously closed schools from February 2. The announcement followed what the government described as significant improvement in security after earlier shutdowns in November 2025 across Ifelodun, Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin and Oke Ero LGAs.
Parents with the means have begun relocating their children to Ilorin, the state capital, where schools are operating normally and registration could still be salvaged before the WAEC deadline closed on January 17, 2026. But for the majority, relocation is not an option.
“Parents who can afford it have started moving their children to Ilorin to complete registration because nobody is certain if exams will be held here again. Those who cannot afford relocation are the ones suffering most,” a community member told NaijaChoice News.
In Ifelodun Local Government Area, residents described daily life under siege. Armed groups are reportedly operating in nearby forests, creating a climate of fear that has brought education to a standstill.
“We are living in fear every day. People are afraid to move around freely, and children cannot go to school. Education has completely stopped here,” one resident lamented.
Security presence remains patchy. Operatives visit occasionally but are not permanently stationed, leaving communities exposed.
“This is why it is not yet safe for the schools to open fully. Nobody wants to risk the lives of their children,” the source stressed.
Parents are particularly bitter that their children preparing for these national examinations have borne the heaviest brunt.
“Our children were asked to come for thumbprinting and biometric capturing, but because of insecurity and the school closure, they couldn’t go. Now their future is uncertain,” a frustrated parent said.
NaijaChoice News gathered that the disruptions are widespread across rural communities in Kwara North and Kwara South, where bandit activities have forced indefinite suspension of schooling. Some teachers have even advised SS3 students to relocate to safer zones in Ilorin.
“Not every parent has relatives or money to send their children to Ilorin. Many students are now stranded and may miss these examinations entirely,” another parent told NaijaChoice News.
The development adds to a troubling pattern. Bandit attacks in 2025 claimed over 150 lives and led to more than 300 kidnappings in Kwara, prompting multiple school closures and the relocation of institutions like the Kwara State College of Education in Oro earlier in January 2026.
Efforts by NaijaChoice News to get a reaction from Kwara State Commissioner for Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, proved unsuccessful as he did not respond to messages seeking clarification on the current status of affected rural schools and alternative arrangements for the stranded students.
As WASSCE examinations approach in May/June 2026, parents and stakeholders are calling on the state government and security agencies to urgently restore normalcy so no child is left behind because of where they live.
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