Nigeria’s security agencies have raised alarm over a potential wave of coordinated attacks targeting critical infrastructure in the capital, Abuja, and neighbouring Niger state, according to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press.
The document, issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), warns that armed groups are actively planning assaults on high-value and sensitive facilities, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and correctional centres within the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the memo, intelligence suggests that a prison facility in Abuja and a military detention centre in nearby Niger State are also among the intended targets, raising concerns about possible attempts to free detainees or disrupt national security operations.
While Nigerian authorities have not publicly confirmed the specifics of the threat, the reported warning underscores growing fears over the reach and coordination of armed groups operating across the country’s central region.
Security analysts say attacks on airports and detention facilities would represent a significant escalation, potentially aimed at undermining public confidence and stretching already pressured security resources.
The development comes amid persistent insecurity in parts of Nigeria, where armed groups have carried out kidnappings, raids and attacks on government institutions. Abuja, long considered relatively secure compared with other regions, has in recent years faced sporadic security breaches, prompting increased vigilance.
Officials are yet to announce additional protective measures, but the memo indicates that security agencies have been placed on heightened alert, with calls for intensified surveillance and inter-agency coordination.
