DSS Warns of Planned Terrorist, Bandit Attacks on Sokoto Tertiary Institutions

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 put in place.

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 any successful attack could have serious consequences for the education sector, including disruption of academic activities, heightened fear and a loss of public confidence in the government’s ability to protect educational institutions.

It also cautioned that such incidents could damage Nigeria’s international image and further worsen the security challenges affecting educational activities in parts of the country.

Consequently, the DSS called for an immediate strengthening of security 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 said 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 across the state.

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.