Terrorists, Informants Spying on Schools, Other Targets – Police

The Nigeria Police Force has raised the alarm over intelligence suggesting that terrorists and their local collaborators are conducting surveillance on schools, places of worship, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations across the country. The warning comes as schools resume for the 2026/2027 academic session, with security agencies increasing surveillance around institutions considered potential targets. In a security alert circulated to police formations nationwide, the Force said intelligence from its Department of Operations indicated increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks. The police also reported the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State. According to the alert, suspected Islamic State West Africa Province operatives and local collaborators were carrying out reconnaissance of potential targets. The development has prompted the police to direct commanders to intensify intelligence-led surveillance, patrols, stop-and-search operations, access control and rapid-response arrangements around vulnerable locations. Commissioners of Police were also ordered to strengthen security at state borders, entry and exit routes and other strategic approaches to prevent the infiltration and movement of armed groups. The Defence Headquarters said it was monitoring the situation, while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps disclosed that it had doubled its intelligence network across state commands to protect schools and other learning institutions. NSCDC spokesperson, Babafemi Afolabi, said intelligence-driven operations by federal and tactical squads had prevented more than 100 attempted attacks on schools. He urged parents not to allow the security concerns to prevent their children from returning to school, stressing that security agencies were working with other stakeholders and community leaders. He also said the NSCDC was collaborating with private security personnel across the country to improve intelligence gathering and ensure suspicious activities were reported promptly. Former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, described the alert as part of the responsibility of security agencies to gather and share intelligence before attacks occur. He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons, vehicles and movements. Former Director of the Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, similarly called on citizens and government institutions to take the warning seriously. He stressed that preventing terrorist attacks required cooperation among the military, police, intelligence agencies, government and members of the public. Meanwhile, parents have expressed concern over the safety of children returning to school. The National Secretary of the Uche Onyia-led faction of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, Ibrahim Nabayi, said parents were understandably worried and called on the government to urgently strengthen security around schools. Nabayi advocated the deployment of technology capable of detecting potential threats within a five-kilometre radius of schools. He also called for stronger implementation of the Safe School Initiative, which was introduced to improve surveillance, coordination and rapid response to threats against schools. Rather than shutting schools indefinitely, he suggested relocating pupils in high-risk areas to safer institutions where necessary, warning that prolonged closures could further disadvantage children without access to online learning. He also called for greater collaboration between government, security agencies, communities and parent-teacher associations, noting that residents could provide valuable information about suspicious activities around schools. The latest warning comes against the backdrop of previous attacks on educational institutions. PUNCH reported that in May 2026, armed men attacked three schools in Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 49 pupils, teachers and a toddler, while a mathematics teacher was reportedly killed in captivity. With the new intelligence alert coming at the beginning of a new academic session, security agencies and community stakeholders are under pressure to prevent a repeat of such attacks and ensure that Nigerian children can return to school in safety.