A heightened nationwide security alert has been issued following intelligence indicating that terrorist groups are mobilising to launch coordinated attacks across Nigeria.
The threat, which coincides with the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session, has prompted security agencies to intensify surveillance around learning institutions, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps, places of worship, and state borders.
Communications from the Nigeria Police Force Department of Operations to zonal commands, specialised units, and state commissioners revealed that armed elements are currently moving from Katsina through Kaduna toward Plateau State. The warning specifically highlighted reconnaissance activities by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operatives and local collaborators. In response, police commanders have been instructed to execute aggressive intelligence-led patrols, stop-and-search operations, and strict border controls to prevent the infiltration of armed combatants.
The Department of State Services (DSS) issued parallel advisories to religious leaders in Osun State regarding potential strikes on places of worship ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections. Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters confirmed it is actively monitoring the situation, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) announced it has doubled its intelligence network across state commands. NSCDC spokesperson Babafemi Afolabi noted that joint operations involving sister agencies and millions of private security guards have already foiled over 100 attempted school attacks, reassuring anxious parents that learning environments remain protected.
The security notifications follow a history of targeted abductions, including a May 2026 raid in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State where armed men seized 49 pupils, teachers, and a toddler across three schools, resulting in the murder of a mathematics teacher in captivity.
The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) acknowledged that widespread anxiety is paralysing families. NAPTAN National Secretary Ibrahim Nabayi urged authorities to deploy early-detection surveillance technology and revamp the Safe School Initiative, suggesting that vulnerable pupils should be temporarily relocated to safer nearby institutions rather than shutting down education entirely.
“Parents are worried now, parents are scared of sending children back to school,” Nabayi said, stressing that protective measures must be implemented effectively. “Once the government can create a safe environment, education thrives. When there is fear, nothing can be learned.”
Security experts have similarly urged the public to remain vigilant and support law enforcement through prompt reporting. Former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Ali Amodu noted that public cooperation is vital during high-risk periods, stating, “Security is everybody’s business. I must be very frank with you, over the years, we Nigerians have taken things for granted. It is now dawning on us that there is a need for us to be very cautious in what we do and to be alert.”
Former DSS Director Mike Ejiofor reinforced this call to action, stating that early prevention relies heavily on local intelligence gathering and public engagement.
“If you get such an advisory, we should take it seriously so that people are not caught unawares,” Ejiofor remarked. “Now that we have preventive information, we should be sitting up. All of us—the military, the police, the state government, the Federal Government—everybody must be involved.”