Security agencies have intensified surveillance around schools, NYSC orientation camps, places of worship and other vulnerable locations following intelligence suggesting that terrorists may be planning coordinated attacks across the country.
The Nigeria Police Force, in a security alert circulated to its formations nationwide, said the attacks could coincide with the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session.
The alert, issued by the Department of Operations, cited “increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks” on schools, worship centres, NYSC camps and other soft targets.
It was sent to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1 to 17, Commissioners of Police in all states, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism units and other specialised commands.
The communication was also copied to relevant departments at Force Headquarters, including Intelligence, the Force Criminal Investigation Department, the Force Security Department, Research and Planning, ICT, and Finance and Administration.
The police said intelligence had indicated the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
It also disclosed that suspected Islamic State West Africa Province operatives and local collaborators were conducting surveillance and reconnaissance around potential targets.
The Department of Operations consequently directed commanders to strengthen security around learning institutions, places of worship, NYSC orientation camps and other identified vulnerable locations.
“All personnel should maintain heightened vigilance and report suspicious persons, vehicles, movements or objects through established channels,” the alert stated.
The police further ordered commanders to intensify intelligence-led surveillance, patrols, stop-and-search operations, access control and rapid-response arrangements.
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 groups.
The Defence Headquarters said it was monitoring the situation.
“We are monitoring the situation,” the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, said.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also announced measures to protect schools and other educational institutions.
The NSCDC spokesperson, Babafemi Afolabi, said the corps had expanded its intelligence network across its state commands and that federal and tactical squads had prevented more than 100 attempted attacks on schools.
Afolabi said the Commandant-General had briefed state commandants and directed personnel to remain vigilant as schools reopened.
“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.
He urged parents not to allow fear to prevent their children from returning to school, while encouraging communities to cooperate 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,” Afolabi said.
He added that residents should promptly report suspicious activities in their neighbourhoods.
“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,” he said.
Afolabi said the NSCDC was also engaging private security companies and guards in 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.
He explained that private guards were being trained to observe and report unusual activities within their areas of operation.
Reacting to the alert, former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Ali Amodu and former Director of the Department of State Services Mike Ejiofor called for increased vigilance among residents and security agencies.
Amodu described the alert as part of the responsibility of security institutions to gather intelligence, warn citizens and prevent attacks.
He urged Nigerians to report suspicious persons, vehicles and movements, particularly around worship centres and other public places.
“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,” Amodu said.
He added that the approach of the 2027 elections made vigilance more important.
“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,” he said.
Ejiofor said any advisory on a possible attack should be treated seriously and followed by immediate preventive action.
“If you get such an advisory, we should take it seriously so that people are not caught unawares,” he said.
The former DSS director stressed that preventing terrorism required cooperation among the military, police, intelligence agencies, government institutions 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,” Ejiofor said.
He urged residents to share useful information with security agencies, saying local intelligence could help authorities detect threats before they developed into attacks.
“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,” he added.
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