NewzBy Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto SOKOTO — 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.
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 chall… By Musa Ubandawaki, SOKOTO The Department of State Services, DSS, Sokoto State Command, has issued a stark security warning over intelligence indicating plans by terrorists and bandit groups to attack tertiary institutions across the state, raising fears of possible abductions of students, lecturers, staff and their family members. The warning, contained in a letter dated July 18, 2026, addressed to the Sokoto State Government and signed on behalf of the State Director of Security, B.
Abdulaziz, said intelligence available to the Service pointed to a dangerous tactical shift by criminal elements from primary and secondary schools to universities and other tertiary institutions. The DSS, in the security alert titled “Planned Attack on Tertiary Institutions by Terrorist and Bandit Gangs,” warned that the emerging threat could have devastating consequences for the education sector if urgent preventive measures were not taken. The Service said the criminal groups appeared to be changing their operational focus after previously targeting vulnerable primary and secondary schools, with tertiary institutions now emerging as potential targets because of the concentration of students, academic and non-academic staff and their relatives.
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