The Governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, Walin Sokoto, has expressed serious concern over a security alert issued by the Department of State Services (DSS), warning of alleged plans by terrorists and bandit groups to attack tertiary institutions across Sokoto State.

In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Aminu Abdullahi, Hon. Dan’iya urged the Federal and Sokoto State Governments, as well as all relevant security agencies, to treat the warning as an immediate security emergency and act proactively to prevent any attack.

Hon. Dan’iya said the reported tactical shift from targeting primary and secondary schools to universities and other tertiary institutions is deeply alarming, considering the large number of students, lecturers, non-academic staff and their families within such institutions.

He noted that the DSS alert, contained in a letter dated July 18, 2026 and addressed to the Sokoto State Government, reportedly warned of a possible strategy aimed not only at abducting individuals but also at disrupting academic activities, creating widespread fear and undermining public confidence in the government’s ability to protect educational institutions.

The ADC gubernatorial candidate stressed that the warning must not be treated with kid gloves or dismissed as a routine security report.

He called on the Federal Government and the Sokoto State Government to immediately strengthen security around universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions across the state through increased surveillance, intelligence gathering, patrols, rapid-response mechanisms and effective inter-agency coordination.

He urged security agencies to act before criminals strike, rather than wait for an attack before responding.

Hon. Dan’iya also called on the management of tertiary institutions to urgently review their internal security arrangements, strengthen communication with security agencies and provide appropriate safety guidance to students and staff.

He appealed to parents, traditional leaders, host communities and other stakeholders to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or activities to the appropriate authorities.

He stressed that community intelligence can play an important role in preventing attacks.

According to him, “A security warning of this nature must not be treated with kid gloves. Prevention is always better than responding after lives have been lost.

The Federal and State Governments must act now, deploy the necessary security resources and ensure that our students, lecturers and educational institutions are protected.”

He warned that allowing tertiary institutions to become the next targets would further disrupt education in Sokoto, expose thousands of young people to danger and inflict long-term damage on the state’s educational development.

Hon. Dan’iya commended the DSS and other security agencies for providing the early warning and urged them to follow it with decisive preventive action.

He reaffirmed that the protection of lives and property is a fundamental responsibility of government and called for intelligence-led security operations, stronger community engagement and rapid response across the state.

“We cannot afford another tragedy in our schools. The warning has been issued and the authorities have been alerted. What is required now is action. Every hour of delay increases the risk to innocent lives,” he said.

He urged the Federal Government, the Sokoto State Government and security agencies to act swiftly and decisively to safeguard tertiary institutions and prevent the reported threat from becoming a reality.

END

Please follow and like us: