Terrorists targeting schools to spread fear, disrupt education — FG

…As intelligence-led operations intensify against terrorist networks

…Over 1,000 insurgents killed in Q1By Precious Mark

The Federal Government has described the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states as part of a coordinated terrorist strategy designed to undermine education, destabilise communities and weaken national unity.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this on Thursday during a national security briefing in Abuja, saying the incidents were not isolated occurrences but part of a broader assault on the country’s future.

He disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed security agencies to secure the safe rescue of all abducted victims, adding that the situation is being treated as a matter of the highest national urgency.

Idris said the government is responding through an intelligence-led, multi-agency operation involving the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).

He explained that what distinguishes the administration’s response is “not merely the deployment of force but the adoption of a comprehensive, intelligence-led approach to national security, combined with an ongoing and long-overdue overhaul of the nation’s security architecture.”

According to the minister, schools are being deliberately targeted because they represent “soft targets and powerful symbols of national development”, while attackers seek to spread fear and disrupt education in vulnerable communities.

Idris also pointed to ongoing military gains across various theatres of operation, particularly in the North-East under Operation Hadin Kai, where troops continue to record successes against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.

He said that over the past week, troops repelled multiple infiltration attempts along the Kirawa-Pulka and Ngoshe axes in Borno State. Follow-up operations, he added, resulted in the neutralisation of more than 50 terrorists, including several high-value targets.

According to him, military authorities further reported that about 1,000 terrorist elements, including a number of commanders, were eliminated during the first quarter of 2026 through sustained operations across the theatre.

He further noted that Nigeria commenced one of the largest terrorism prosecution exercises in its history in April 2026, with more than 500 suspects facing trial across the country. The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation disclosed that 508 terrorism-related cases were brought before the courts in the latest phase of proceedings, leading to 386 convictions.

Idris stressed that Nigeria’s security strategy is increasingly reliant on international cooperation, including intelligence-sharing arrangements with the United States and regional allies, alongside stronger coordination with state governments.

He called on the media and members of the public to avoid sensational reporting, warning that terrorist groups exploit fear and misinformation to further their objectives.

The minister assured families of the abducted victims that government efforts to secure their release remain active and sustained, maintaining that the safe return of every child and teacher remains a foremost national priority.

“No Nigerian child belongs in captivity. Every available resource is being deployed to bring them home,” he said.