The Department of State Services (DSS), Sokoto State Command, has raised the alarm over intelligence indicating plans by terrorist and bandit groups to attack tertiary institutions across the state.

The Service warned that students, lecturers, non-academic staff and their family members could be targeted for abduction if urgent security measures were not taken.

The warning was contained in a security alert dated July 18, 2026, addressed to the Sokoto State Government and signed on behalf of the State Director of Security, B. Abdulaziz.

Titled, “Planned Attack on Tertiary Institutions by Terrorist and Bandit Gangs,” the alert said intelligence available to the Service indicated a possible shift in the operational focus of criminal groups from primary and secondary schools to universities and other tertiary institutions.

According to the DSS, the concentration of students, academic and non-academic staff and their relatives could make tertiary institutions attractive targets for the criminal groups.

The Service warned that the reported plan could have serious consequences for the education sector, beyond the abduction of individuals.

It said a successful attack could disrupt academic activities, create widespread fear and undermine public confidence in the ability of government to protect educational institutions.

The DSS also cautioned that such incidents could damage Nigeria’s image internationally and further worsen the insecurity affecting educational activities in parts of the country.

Consequently, the Service called for an immediate strengthening of the security architecture around tertiary institutions across Sokoto State.

It urged relevant authorities to adopt proactive measures, including enhanced surveillance, intelligence gathering, access control and rapid-response mechanisms, rather than waiting for attacks to occur before taking action

The Command disclosed that it had alerted relevant security and response agencies to the emerging threat and urged them to deploy appropriate countermeasures to protect students, staff and critical educational infrastructure.

It also called on the Sokoto State Government to treat the alert with urgency and coordinate with security agencies to strengthen protection around universities and other tertiary institutions in the state.

The warning comes amid persistent security challenges in parts of northern Nigeria, where terrorist and bandit groups have continued to target vulnerable communities and institutions.

The DSS urged stakeholders in the education sector and members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities. (Vanguard)

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