Fresh security intelligence has uncovered a planned wave of coordinated attacks targeting critical infrastructure in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, with jihadist groups reportedly focusing on aviation and correctional facilities.
An internal memo issued by the Nigeria Customs Service on April 13 raised alarm over a “credible report” indicating that Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province are planning a series of coordinated attacks within the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding areas.
The document called for heightened vigilance and an “enhanced level of security” across Abuja and its environs, citing key potential targets including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Kuje Custodial Centre, and the Wawa military prison in neighbouring Niger State.
According to the intelligence report, ISWAP operatives have already infiltrated the FCT to facilitate the attacks, heightening concerns among security agencies.
Kuje prison, previously attacked in 2022 when hundreds of inmates were freed by insurgents, has again emerged as a major security concern. In response to recent intelligence, authorities in the Kuje Area Council earlier imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in parts of the area over fears of a possible assault.
The memo also indicated that the planned attack on the Wawa military prison is allegedly being coordinated by Boko Haram elements in collaboration with Ansaru and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), highlighting growing cross-border terrorist cooperation in the region.
Additionally, the intelligence linked the airport threat to recent attacks on aviation infrastructure in neighbouring Niger Republic, suggesting a broader regional pattern.
Despite the warnings, government officials have maintained that Abuja remains safe, describing recent foreign advisories as precautionary and insisting there is no immediate threat to residents.
Meanwhile, in a parallel development, no fewer than 744 former terrorists and victims of violent extremism have graduated from the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration programme under Operation Safe Corridor.
The beneficiaries, drawn largely from the North-East, include individuals from multiple Nigerian states as well as foreign nationals from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Republic.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Gombe, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, described the programme as a strategic tool aimed at addressing the root causes of insurgency rather than rewarding criminality.
Represented by Rear Admiral Kabiru Tanimu, he stressed that sustainable peace requires a combination of military operations and non-kinetic approaches such as rehabilitation and reintegration.
“This is not a reward but a deliberate strategy to reduce violence, weaken extremist recruitment and promote long-term stability,” he said.
Oluyede urged the graduates to embrace the opportunity for a new life and warned against a return to violence, noting that the success of the initiative depends on their commitment to peaceful reintegration.
He also called on state governments, communities, and families to support the reintegration process, describing it as a collective responsibility.
Earlier, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, said the programme was designed to provide a structured pathway for disengagement from extremism through psychosocial support, vocational training, and ideological reorientation.
He noted that many of the participants were victims of coercion and manipulation, adding that the programme seeks to rebuild identity and prepare them for responsible citizenship.
The Gombe State Government also urged the graduates to take advantage of the second chance offered to them and contribute positively to national development.