Security agencies have heightened surveillance around schools, NYSC orientation camps, places of worship and other vulnerable locations following intelligence indicating plans by terrorists to launch coordinated attacks across the country.
The Nigeria Police Force, in a security alert circulated to its formations nationwide, warned of planned attacks that could coincide with the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session.
According to the police communication, intelligence available to the Department of Operations indicated an “increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks” on places of worship, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations.
The communication was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1–17, Mobile Police units, counter-terrorism and other specialised formations, as well as Commissioners of Police in all the states.
It was also copied to departments and formations at Force Headquarters, including Intelligence, Finance and Administration, the Directorate of Training and Development, the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Research and Planning, ICT and the Force Security Department.
According to the police, intelligence revealed the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
“There is an increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks on places of worship, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations,” it stated.
The Force also said suspected Islamic State West Africa Province operatives and local collaborators were conducting surveillance and reconnaissance of potential targets.
The police described the threat to learning institutions as particularly concerning, warning that attacks could coincide with the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session.
The Department of Operations consequently directed affected formations and commands to heighten security around schools, places of worship, NYSC camps and other vulnerable locations.
“All personnel should maintain heightened vigilance and report suspicious persons, vehicles, movements or objects through established channels,” it added.
Commanders were ordered to intensify intelligence-led surveillance, patrols, stop-and-search operations, and access control and rapid-response arrangements around identified vulnerable locations.
Commissioners of Police were also directed to tighten security at state borders, entry and exit routes and other critical approaches to prevent the infiltration and movement of armed elements.
The Defence Headquarters said it was monitoring the situation.
“We are monitoring the situation,” the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, said.
Similarly, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said it had doubled its intelligence network across state commands to protect schools and other learning institutions.
Speaking on security arrangements for the reopening of schools, the NSCDC spokesperson, Babafemi Afolabi, said intelligence-driven operations by federal and tactical squads had thwarted more than 100 attempted attacks on schools.
Afolabi said the Commandant-General had briefed state commandants and directed officers and men to remain vigilant.
“All tactical squads, officers, and men of the Corps in different state commands — the Commandant General has already briefed them through their commandants. So, now that schools have resumed, they’ve doubled their intelligence network, and I’m very sure that nothing of such will happen,” he said.
Addressing concerns among parents who are apprehensive about sending their children back to school, Afolabi urged them to allow their wards to resume, while calling for greater cooperation with security agencies.
“I would advise parents and their wards to just let them free to go to school. Nothing of such will happen. That’s why we’ve been able to work in collaboration with other stakeholders, even the community leaders,” he said.
“This is the time we have to work and we have to do it all together because security is a collective responsibility. When they notice anything going on in their area, they should quickly alert us and let us know.”
Afolabi added that the NSCDC was also working with private security personnel across the country to strengthen intelligence gathering.
“Not only Civil Defence are doing this; we work together with other sister agencies, and also the private guards. We have millions of them all over the federation,” he said.
“So, part of the training we are giving to them is to put their ear on the ground and to furnish us with any information—whatever that is going on in their area—that they should furnish us and let us know.”
Reacting, former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, and former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, urged residents and security agencies in to heighten vigilance following a security alert over possible terrorist attacks.
Amodu said the alert was part of the responsibility of security agencies to gather and share intelligence to prevent attacks and ensure that citizens were prepared.
He said, “Whichever department must have actually ignited or sent the alert is going to serve one and the same purpose. And it is a good thing; it’s a responsibility of the law enforcement, not only to enforce law but to gather intelligence and send alerts so that citizens can always be alert.
“Citizens can always be ready. They cannot take things for granted. When such an alert is given, from experience, you discover that everybody will sit up.
“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.”
The former police chief urged residents to report strange persons, movements and suspicious vehicles, particularly around worship centres, to security agencies.
He said security agencies, including the police, DSS and military, had intelligence-gathering responsibilities and would be expected to take appropriate measures after receiving such alerts.
“Now that election is by the corner, there’s need for everybody to be more of that alertness. The security agents are doing what they are supposed to do,” Amodu said.
Ejiofor said the DSS advisory was consistent with its responsibility to prevent and detect crime, urging other security agencies to immediately take preventive measures.
He said, “If you get such an advisory, we should take it seriously so that people are not caught unawares.”
Ejiofor stressed that preventing an attack was a collective responsibility involving the military, police, intelligence agencies, government and citizens.
“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. But most importantly, the people must be security conscious,” he said.
He added that intelligence from local communities could help security agencies detect suspicious activities early.
“The people must be security conscious, and they must also report back to the security agencies. That’s what this ‘see something, say something’ is important for,” Ejiofor said.
