Police Raise Alarm Over Suspected Terrorist Surveillance of Schools, Worship Centres, NYSC Camps

The Nigeria Police Force has directed commands and formations across the country to strengthen security around schools, places of worship, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations following intelligence pointing to possible coordinated terrorist attacks.

The warning, contained in a security alert circulated to police formations nationwide, comes as schools prepare for the 2026/2027 academic session.

According to the communication issued by the Department of Operations, intelligence indicated an “increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks” on places of worship, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations.

The alert was distributed to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in charge of Zones 1 to 17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism units and other specialised formations, as well as Commissioners of Police across the states.

It was also circulated to several departments at Force Headquarters, including Intelligence, Finance and Administration, Training and Development, the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Research and Planning, Information and Communication Technology and the Force Security Department.

The police said intelligence had also 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 further disclosed that suspected Islamic State West Africa Province operatives and their local collaborators were carrying out surveillance and reconnaissance of potential targets.

The police described the threat to educational institutions as especially worrisome, noting that the suspected attacks could coincide with the reopening of schools for the new academic session.

Consequently, the Department of Operations ordered affected commands to reinforce security around schools, worship centres, NYSC orientation camps and other locations considered vulnerable.

It directed personnel to maintain heightened vigilance and immediately report unusual activities.

“All personnel should maintain heightened vigilance and report suspicious persons, vehicles, movements or objects through established channels,” it added.

Police commanders were also instructed to increase intelligence-led surveillance, patrols, stop-and-search operations, access control and rapid-response measures around identified targets.

Commissioners of Police were directed to strengthen security along state borders, entry and exit points and other strategic routes to prevent the infiltration and movement of armed elements.

The Defence Headquarters also confirmed that it was keeping watch over the situation.

“We are monitoring the situation,” the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, said.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said it had expanded its intelligence-gathering network across its state commands as part of efforts to safeguard schools and other educational institutions.

The NSCDC spokesperson, Babafemi Afolabi, said intelligence-led operations involving federal and tactical squads had prevented more than 100 attempted attacks on schools.

He said the Commandant-General had briefed state commandants and directed personnel to remain alert 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.

Afolabi also appealed to parents who might be concerned about the security situation not to keep their children away from school, stressing the importance of cooperation between communities and 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.

He added, “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.”

The NSCDC spokesperson said the corps was also leveraging the network of private security personnel operating 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 to the security 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 citizens and security agencies.

Amodu said issuing such alerts was an important component of the intelligence-gathering and preventive responsibilities of security agencies.

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 members of the public to report unfamiliar individuals, suspicious movements and unusual vehicles, particularly around worship centres, to the relevant security authorities.

He said the police, DSS and military all had intelligence-gathering responsibilities and should be expected to respond appropriately to credible 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 similarly described the advisory as consistent with the DSS’s responsibility to prevent and detect criminal activities, urging other security agencies to act promptly on the intelligence.

He said, “If you get such an advisory, we should take it seriously so that people are not caught unawares.”

According to the former DSS director, preventing terrorist attacks requires coordinated action involving security agencies, government institutions and the general public.

“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.

Ejiofor further stressed the importance of community-based intelligence in identifying suspicious activities before they escalate into security threats.

“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.