The Sokoto principals suspended for illegal examination fees include six heads of public secondary schools accused of flouting government directives and collecting unauthorised charges from students.
The State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Ahmad Ladan Ala, approved the suspension on Monday and directed that it take effect immediately.

According to a statement signed by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Mohammad Iya, the affected schools are Nana Girls Secondary School (Sokoto); Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Gagi; GDSS Mana; Giginya Memorial College; Mana Basic Secondary School; and GDSS Silame.
The principals were sanctioned for “acts of insubordination” and for imposing fees tied to Junior Secondary School examination results without government approval.

To investigate the allegations, the commissioner inaugurated a five-member committee led by Professor Mustapha Namakka Tukur. Other members include the Executive Secretary of the Advanced Inter-State Examination Board (AIEB), the Director of Quality Assurance, the Director of Planning from the Teachers Service Board, and a second representative of the Quality Assurance Department who will serve as secretary.

The ministry instructed the suspended principals to hand over all administrative duties to their Vice Principals (Administration) without delay.
Professor Ala stressed that the action demonstrates the government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption and misconduct in schools, saying:

“Our schools must be governed by accountability, not personal interests.
No principal or school administrator will be allowed to act outside the law or exploit students and parents.”

The commissioner added that the state will not hesitate to discipline any official found guilty of violating regulations.

This move follows a 2024 directive from the Federal Ministry of Education warning states to eliminate illegal levies in public schools.
Federal authorities have repeatedly argued that such practices discourage enrolment and undermine Nigeria’s universal basic education goals.

By suspending the six principals, Sokoto State is sending a strong signal that it intends to enforce discipline, transparency, and accountability in the education sector.
The outcome of the committee’s investigation is expected to set a precedent for handling similar cases in the future.

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