From Yakubu Wuyep, Jos
The Plateau State Government has ordered the closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools in the state from today (Monday, September 7, 2026), following suspected diphtheria cases in four local government areas.
The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, who announced the directive in a statement on Saturday, said the schools would remain closed until further notice as part of measures to contain the suspected outbreak and protect pupils, students and school staff.
Ramnap said suspected cases had been reported in Jos North, Wase, Jos South and Bassa local government areas (LGAs). She directed school proprietors, administrators, teachers, parents, and guardians to comply with the order, and keep pupils and students at home.
The Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Baamlong, had on September 3 said the state recorded 143 suspected diphtheria cases, 23 deaths and nine patients receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos.
Baamlong said suspected patients were being quarantined at the two hospitals to prevent further transmission, while late presentation of patients and difficulty in obtaining diphtheria antitoxin remained major challenges to the state’s response.
However, a resident of Jos North, Usman Sheidu, told The Guardian that four additional deaths had been recorded in the local government, potentially raising the reported death toll to 27.
The state government urged residents and other stakeholders to cooperate with health authorities and comply with measures introduced to contain the suspected outbreak, noting that vaccination remains the primary means of preventing diphtheria.