The Department of State Services, Sokoto State command, has raised the alarm over intelligence indicating planned attacks and kidnappings targeting tertiary institutions across the state.
The warning, contained in a July 18, 2026, letter to the Sokoto State Government, said terrorist and bandit groups had shifted their focus from vulnerable primary and secondary schools to universities and other higher institutions.
The letter, titled “Planned Attack on Tertiary Institutions by Terrorist and Bandit Gangs,” was signed on behalf of the State Director of Security by B. Abdulaziz.
According to the DSS, the emerging threat could expose students, lecturers, non-academic staff and their families to kidnapping and other forms of attacks.
The Service said the shift in strategy was part of efforts by criminal groups to disrupt education, weaken public confidence in government’s security operations and create a negative image of Nigeria internationally.
