The Department of State Services, DSS, has alerted security agencies in Edo State to an alleged plot by suspected bandits to carry out mass abductions of school children, particularly within Edo North Senatorial District.
In a classified memo dated June 5, 2026, and addressed to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Benin City, the DSS disclosed that intelligence intercepts revealed ongoing plans by suspected bandits to target schools across vulnerable communities in the state.
The memo, signed by B. Agada for the State Director of the Service, stated that the plot emerged from an intercepted conversation between two suspected bandits identified as Bawa and Nchu.
According to the document, Bawa was described as being of Fulani extraction from Zamfara State.
During the conversation, the suspects allegedly disclosed that previous attempts to kidnap wealthy individuals had not yielded the expected financial returns, forcing them to reconsider their targets.
The memo also disclosed that the duo allegedly concluded that abducting schoolchildren would attract greater government attention and increase the chances of securing huge ransom payments and concessions.
The correspondence further revealed that on June 4, 2026, one 25 year old Immanuel Momidu, was apprehended while allegedly conducting surveillance around Makeke Secondary School in Makeke Community, Akoko Edo Local Government Area.
The DSS warned that the suspects were believed to be perfecting plans to strike schools and vulnerable communities within Edo North.
In its recommendations, the Service advised the immediate emplacement of tighter security measures around schools and educational institutions across the state, with particular focus on Edo North Senatorial District.
The memo specifically recommended the deployment of security personnel to vulnerable schools and communities in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps, local vigilantes and hunters, alongside intensified patrols across vulnerable areas.
The leaked advisory has again drawn attention to the vulnerability of schools and other soft targets amid persistent kidnapping threats across parts of the country.
Security analysts say the memo should serve as an early warning to authorities against complacency, noting that major attacks in recent years have intensified scrutiny over how threat intelligence is acted upon.
They cited the March 28, 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack, the July 5, 2022 Kuje prison break, the June 2025 Yelwata killings in Benue State, and the November 2025 abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State as incidents that heightened public attention on the protection of vulnerable targets and the effectiveness of preventive security measures.