-
Security agencies have heightened surveillance around schools, NYSC orientation camps, churches, mosques and other vulnerable locations following intelligence indicating possible coordinated terrorist attacks across the country.
-
The Nigeria Police Force has alerted commands nationwide to increased mobilisation of terrorist elements, including reported movements of armed operatives from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
-
Suspected ISWAP operatives and local collaborators are reportedly conducting surveillance of potential targets, with security agencies particularly concerned about attacks coinciding with the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session.
-
Parents and security experts have urged government to strengthen protection around schools, revive the Safe School Initiative and deepen intelligence-sharing with communities to prevent another round of abductions and attacks.
September 15, (THEWILL) – Security agencies have placed schools, NYSC orientation camps, churches, mosques and other vulnerable locations across the country on heightened security alert and tightened surveillance following intelligence indicating possible coordinated terrorist attacks.
The Nigeria Police Force, in a nationwide security alert, directed its formations and commands to intensify intelligence-led operations around potential targets, particularly schools ahead of the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session.
The alert, issued by the Department of Operations, was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1 to 17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism and other specialised units, as well as Commissioners of Police in all states.
It was also copied to key departments at the Force Headquarters, including Intelligence, Finance and Administration, Training and Development, the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Research and Planning, Information and Communication Technology and Force Security.
READ ALSO:
According to the police, intelligence indicates “increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks” on places of worship, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations.
The development has heightened concerns among parents and school authorities, particularly as millions of pupils and students prepare to return to school following the long vacation.
Terrorists Moving Towards Plateau
The police alertidentified the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State, raising fears that the operatives could be positioning themselves for attacks or other criminal activities.
The intelligence also indicated that suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operatives and their local collaborators were conducting surveillance and reconnaissance of potential targets.
The police therefore ordered commanders to strengthen security around critical locations, intensify patrols and surveillance, improve stop-and-search operations and tighten access control.
Personnel were also directed to promptly report suspicious persons, vehicles, movements and objects capable of posing security threats.
The commands were further instructed to strengthen security around state borders, entry and exit routes and other critical approaches in order to prevent the infiltration or movement of armed elements.
Military Monitoring Situation
The Defence Headquarters has also acknowledged the emerging security concerns.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the military was monitoring the situation.
“We are monitoring the situation,” he said.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has equally stepped up its intelligence network around schools across the country.
NSCDC spokesman, Babafemi Afolabi, said the Corps had doubled its intelligence-gathering efforts across its state commands in response to the threat.
According to him, tactical and federal operations by the Corps have already helped to thwart more than 100 attempted attacks on schools.
He said the Commandant-General had also briefed state commandants and directed them to strengthen intelligence operations around schools and other vulnerable institutions.
Afolabi urged parents not to panic or withdraw their children from school, stressing that security was a collective responsibility requiring the involvement of government agencies, traditional and community leaders, school authorities, private security guards and members of the public.
The measures are coming against the backdrop of persistent terrorist, bandit and kidnapping threats in several parts of the country, with schools increasingly becoming targets of criminal groups.
Ex-Security Chiefs Urge Vigilance
Former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, described the alert as part of the responsibility of security agencies to gather, assess and share intelligence before threats materialise.He urged Nigerians to remain cautious and report suspicious persons, vehicles and movements, particularly around places of worship and other crowded locations.
Amodu stressed that security could not be left entirely to government agencies, noting that members of the public have an important role to play in preventing attacks through timely information.
He also warned that the approach of the 2027 general elections made heightened vigilance particularly important.
Former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, similarly urged Nigerians to take the warning seriously.
He said preventive intelligence required the military, police, state and federal governments and citizens to remain alert and respond promptly to credible information.
Ejiofor reiterated the principle of “see something, say something”, urging Nigerians to report suspicious activities rather than wait until an attack occurs.
Parents Raise Fresh Fears
The latest alert has also renewed anxiety among parents who remain concerned about the vulnerability of schools to armed attacks and abductions.
National Secretary of the Uche Onyia-led faction of the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria, Ibrahim Nabayi, said many parents were worried about sending their children back to school amid the fresh security warning.
He urged the government to strengthen security around schools and deploy technology capable of detecting weapons and other threats within a wide radius of school premises.
Nabayi argued that many schools remained porous, while guards employed by schools often lacked the weapons, training and capacity required to confront heavily armed attackers.
He recalled the Safe School Initiative introduced to improve the protection of schools, noting that the programme was designed to map vulnerable schools and strengthen coordination, surveillance and rapid response.
According to him, the initiative requires renewed attention as the country confronts another wave of threats against educational institutions.
Nabayi said the association had raised the issue with Defence Minister Christopher Musa during a courtesy visit about three months ago, and that the minister had pledged that the government would do more to protect schools.
The parents’ body also called for stronger cooperation between communities, security agencies, parent-teacher associations and school authorities.
Nabayi urged communities to promptly report suspicious movements around schools and called for proactive security measures rather than waiting for attacks before responding.
He suggested that schools considered to be in high-risk locations could temporarily relocate vulnerable pupils to safer institutions instead of shutting down education indefinitely.
He cited measures adopted in Kaduna State, where vulnerable pupils were transported to safer locations for examinations.
Nabayi disclosed that NAPTAN had previously embarked on a sensitisation programme to educate parents and communities on school security but had to suspend the exercise because of inadequate funding.
He criticised what he described as policy inconsistencies and called on the Federal Government to “dust off” the Safe School Initiative and properly implement it.
He also called for an independent assessment of schools covered by the programme, including determining whether security measures were still operational and identifying the agency or individual responsible for responding to emergencies at each school.
Fresh Memories Of School Abductions
The latest security warning comes barely months after a series of attacks on educational institutions raised renewed concerns over the safety of Nigerian children.
In May 2026, dozens of pupils and teachers were reportedly abducted in separate incidents.
On May 15, armed men reportedly attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 49 pupils, teachers and a toddler. A mathematics teacher was also reportedly killed while in captivity.
The attacks revived memories of previous mass school kidnappings across the country and renewed calls for the Federal Government and state authorities to make school security a national priority.
The Department of State Services had also previously alerted Muslim and Christian leaders in Osun State to alleged plans by terrorists to attack worship centres and other public gathering places ahead of the 2027 elections.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
