Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency says armed groups may be shifting from school kidnappings to university targets, identifying students, lecturers, and families as potential victims.
Recent Lakurawa raids in Sokoto and Kebbi — including night attacks on multiple villages — have raised fears that jihadist networks could escalate toward higher‑value civilian institutions.
By Onibiyo Segun
SOKOTO, Nigeria — Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency has issued a security alert warning that armed groups may be preparing attacks on universities in Sokoto State, signaling a potential shift from the school kidnappings that have plagued the country’s northwest to higher‑value targets. The Department of State Services (DSS) said criminal and jihadist networks operating near the Nigeria–Niger Republic border corridor may be gathering intelligence on campuses, hostels, and staff residences, identifying students, lecturers, and their families as possible victims.
The security alert was issued by the Department of State Services (DSS) Sokoto Command warned of possible attacks on tertiary institutions across the state, saying criminal groups were changing focus from primary and secondary schools.
The DSS said the suspected shift could disrupt education, weaken public confidence in government security operations and create a negative image for Nigeria internationally.
“We have seen what happened in other states. Students thought they were safe until attackers came,” Sai’du Saleh, a student at a Sokoto institution, told TruthNigeria in a chat.
The warning comes as Sokoto State and neighbouring Kebbi State face growing concerns over armed groups operating around the Nigeria-Niger Republic border corridor.
Lakurawa’s Sokoto Raids Fuel Fears of New Phase
The DSS warning follows coordinated attacks in Sokoto and Kebbi border communities attributed by residents and security sources to suspected Lakurawa fighters.
Recent TruthNigeria reporting documented attacks on Dinawa, Munƙi and Gidan Dare communities in Wurno County, Sokoto State, where residents reported night raids that killed at least five people. A university academic told TruthNigeria that fighters moved from house to house after arriving around 10:30 p.m.
Earlier, TruthNigeria reported that hundreds of Lakurawa fighters attacked Kebbe in Sokoto State, overwhelming a security position before moving through parts of the community.
The attacks have increased concerns over whether armed groups with growing operational ability could seek larger civilian targets.
“Lakurawa has expanded its visibility in Sokoto and Kebbi border communities over the last two years. We saw this in Wurno, Tangaza and Binji,” Col. Bukar Hamisu (rtd.), former Brigade Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade Sokoto, told TruthNigeria.
“The August 18 attack on Dinawa, Munƙi and Gidan Dare fits their pattern of night raids and movement across multiple villages. Whether they now have the capability and intent to hit a university is what we must determine,” Hamisu added.
Tangaza Residents Report Suspicious Movements Near Border
Residents in Tangaza, Illela and Binji counties told TruthNigeria that community intelligence remains critical in preventing attacks.
Alhaji Shehu Kangiwar, known as “Sarkin Yakin” (war chief) of Tangaza and a traditional title holder in Tangaza County, Sokoto State, told TruthNigeria that residents have noticed unusual movements around border communities.
“We are hearing things we have not heard before. Young men on motorcycles are coming from the direction of the border at night. They don’t greet elders. They ask about schools, about how many students are in hostels, about which roads are bad,” Kangiwar said.
“Last month we sent messages to the council and to security. We have not seen enough patrols. Now DSS is saying they want to attack universities,” he went on to say.
Kangiwar warned that Tangaza, Illela and Gada require stronger security presence: “Tangaza people are farmers and traders. We cannot protect ourselves. If the government does not put soldiers and intelligence here, these people will move closer to Sokoto city.”
Who Could Be Behind The University Threat?
The DSS warning did not identify the attackers.
Three analysts familiar with Nigeria’s security environment told TruthNigeria that investigators are likely examining three possible tracks.
The first possibility is Lakurawa, because of its reported presence around Sokoto and Kebbi border communities.
The question is whether the group’s demonstrated ability to mobilise fighters and conduct coordinated operations could translate into threats against universities.
The second possibility is Sahel-linked jihadist influence.
“Security analysts are looking at whether tactics used in Sokoto mirror what we see with JNIM and Islamic State Sahel Province across the Niger border,” John Onah, a counterterrorism analyst in Abuja, told TruthNigeria.
“The coordination, timing during rainfall, and targeting of multiple communities in one night are consistent with Sahel doctrine. I’m not saying the DSS has confirmed a link. I’m saying it’s one of three lines of investigation right now, because the border is porous,” Onah added.
Dr. Fatima Akilu, founder of Neem Foundation, told TruthNigeria, “We have a documented history of criminal gangs targeting schools for ransom in the Northwest. The March 2024 abductions in Gada and Kuriga show they can operate with impunity. If they shift to universities, it’s because the hostage value is higher.”
Akilu explained: “This is not necessarily ideology. This is economics. The question for security agencies is whether they are now gathering intelligence on campuses the same way they did on secondary schools.”
Sokoto Universities Test Nigeria’s Next Security Challenge
Nigeria’s education sector has faced waves of attacks, from Boko Haram’s ideological campaign to Northwest school kidnappings. Analysts warn armed groups may now target larger civilian institutions. The DSS alert offers a prevention window, but identifying and disrupting threat networks remains the challenge.
For Sokoto residents, the unanswered question remains: Is Lakurawa expanding toward Nigeria’s universities, or does the DSS warning signal a wider shift by armed groups targeting the country’s education system?
Onibiyo Segun reports on conflict and terrorism for TruthNigeria.
