Plateau shuts schools over diphtheria outbreak concerns

The Plateau State government has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools due to a suspected diphtheria outbreak. According to Daily Trust, the decision was made to prevent students from being infected by the disease. The closure takes effect from Monday, September 7, 2026, and will remain in force until further notice.

The outbreak has been reported in Jos North, Wase, Jos South, and Bassa Local Government Areas. Daily Trust reports that 23 persons have died from the disease, with nine patients hospitalised at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau Specialist Hospital.

The government has urged proprietors, administrators, teachers, parents, and guardians to ensure that pupils and students stay at home until further notice. The directive applies to all schools that have already resumed.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, BusinessDay Nigeria, Daily Trust, Premium Times — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.