Terrorists target students, churches as schools resumePolice, security operatives ask Nigerians to be alert

By Omolade Adegbuyi
Nigerian security operatives have expressed worry that terrorists are spying on secondary and tertiary institutions across the country in their bid to launch coordinated attacks. The plot is linked to Islamic State of West African Province, (ISWAP), though other fringe terrorist groups abound across the country.

Irohinoodua was informed that the terrorists may be considering large scale kidnapping of students and worshipers. Thousands of students have been either killed or kidnapped by insurgents in the past years.
The Assistant Inspectors General of Police distributed the information to relevant authorities earlier in the week.
The report claimed that the terrorists target schools and worship places across the country.
Department of Operations alerted Nigerians on Monday of an “increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks”

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.

The Memo 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.

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.
“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 said the threat to schools is particularly of worry, warning that the terrorists could target the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session. Most secondary and higher institutions began resumption on Monday. While some have resumed, others are expected to resume next Monday.
The Department of Operations consequently directed affected formations and commands to heighten security around schools, places of worship, NYSC camps and other vulnerable locations.
The report stated that “All personnel should maintain heightened vigilance and report suspicious persons, vehicles, movements or objects through established channels,”
The police communication, intelligence available to the on places of worship, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations.
According to the police, intelligence revealed the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
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.
Nigerian Civil Defence Corps official Babafemi Afolabi said the Commandant-General had briefed state commandants and directed officers and men to remain vigilant.
He said “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.

Speaking further, he said “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.”
“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 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.”
“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.
The Punch quotes him as saying “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.