Security agencies across Nigeria have intensified surveillance operations following intelligence reports of a planned attack on key public infrastructure in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring Niger State.
According to an Associated Press report cited by International Centre for Investigative Reporting, the alert is based on an internal memo dated April 13 and obtained from the Nigeria Customs Service. The document indicates that suspected militants are targeting high-profile facilities, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and a correctional centre in Abuja.
The memo also identified a military detention facility in Niger State as part of the potential targets, raising concerns about a coordinated operation aimed at critical national infrastructure.
Highlighting the motive behind the alleged plot, the report quoted the memo as stating that “their intention is to release detained terrorists and inflict significant damage on critical aviation infrastructure.”
Security sources noted that the planned attack bears similarities to a recent assault in Niger Republic, where militants targeted an air force base in Niamey earlier in the year. The memo warned of “a concerning correlation” between that incident and the potential targeting of Abuja’s airport, suggesting an attempt to replicate such attacks within Nigeria.
In response, military and paramilitary forces have reportedly been placed on heightened alert to prevent any breach. A senior security official, cited in the report, said “the military and paramilitary forces are all on high alert and ready to forestall the attack.”
The development comes days after the United States government ordered the departure of non-essential embassy staff and their families from Abuja, citing rising security concerns. The advisory also flagged multiple states across Nigeria as high-risk areas.
Authorities have yet to issue an official public statement confirming the threat, but security presence has reportedly been reinforced around critical installations in and around the capital.
