The Yobe State Government has shut down all boarding schools across the 17 Local Government Councils of the state.
The directive issued on Sunday is expected to take effect immediately.
Although there has been no official statement from the government or security agencies, one of the students told Channels Television that their teachers asked them to vacate the hostels and go home without giving them any reason.
Efforts to speak with the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education proved abortive as his phone was switched off.
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However, a teacher who spoke to Channels Television said the decision was a result of the increasing security threats across boarding schools in the country.
Students of the Senior Secondary School (SS3) have, however, been asked to stay behind.
This comes days after gunmen attacked the Government Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State, whisking away 317 female students.
While Channels Television gathered on Sunday that the students have regained their freedom, the state government and other officials are, however, yet to confirm this or provide any details.
As of Friday evening, seven out of the 317 abducted female students were said to have escaped.
A source who spoke with Channels Television from Jangebe town via a phone call confirmed that the seven girls returned home on their own as they claimed they manoeuvred their way back from the bandits while trekking along the forest.
In reaction to the development, the Zamfara Police Commissioner, CP Abutu Yar, had said a joint search and rescue operation was already underway with a view to rescuing all 317 students.
CP Yaro said the Force Commander Operations Hadarin Daji, Major General Aminu Bande, Brigade Commander 1 Brigade, Nigeria Army Gusau, and other state government officials led a heavily armed Re-enforcement team to Jangebe to complement the rescue operation in the locations where the students were believed to have been whisked to.
Meanwhile shortly after, the state Governor, Bello Matawalle, ordered the immediate closure of all boarding schools in the state.
“As we are making efforts to strengthen security around our schools, I have directed the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools across the State,” Matawalle said in a broadcast, Friday evening.
