The Nigeria Police Force issues a nationwide red alert warning of coordinated terrorist attacks on schools, churches, mosques, and NYSC camps, with intelligence tracking armed elements moving from Katsina through Kaduna toward Plateau.
Abuja — September 14, 2026
The Nigeria Police Force has placed schools, NYSC orientation camps, churches, mosques, and other vulnerable locations nationwide on red alert, following intelligence indicating increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks.
The alert, issued by the Force's Department of Operations on September 13 and marked "Security General" and "Treat as Very Important," was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1 to 17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism units, and Commissioners of Police in every state. The Force described the intelligence as a possible progression from "intent to preparatory activity," warranting immediate, proactive security measures.
Among the most alarming details in the alert: intelligence indicating the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna toward Plateau State, alongside reports that suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operatives and local collaborators are conducting surveillance and reconnaissance of potential targets. The alert identified the North-East, North-West, North-Central, and parts of the South-West as areas of particular concern.
The warning lands at a particularly sensitive moment, coinciding with the start of Nigeria's 2026/2027 academic session, as millions of pupils and students return to school following the long vacation, raising concern among parents and school authorities nationwide.
Police commanders were directed to intensify intelligence-led surveillance, patrols, stop-and-search operations, access control, and rapid-response arrangements around vulnerable locations, while also tightening security at state borders and other entry points to prevent the movement of armed elements.
The Defence Headquarters separately acknowledged the emerging concerns, with Director of Defence Media Operations Major General Michael Onoja confirming the military is monitoring developments.
Some reporting has also referenced a related Army intelligence alert dated September 9 covering similar threats, alongside a separate DSS warning issued to Muslim and Christian leaders in Osun State over an alleged plot targeting worship centres, suggesting a broader, multi-agency intelligence picture feeding into this week's heightened posture nationwide.
The alert's specific focus on armed elements moving toward Plateau lands at an already fraught moment for the state, coming just days after the coordinated attacks that killed at least 13 people across Jos South, Mangu, and Riyom LGAs, and amid an ongoing military offensive, "Operation Hard Nut," targeting armed groups in Mangu LGA.
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