Dan’iya Urges Action Over DSS Warning on Sokoto Tertiary Institutions

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, has urged the Federal and Sokoto State Governments to take immediate measures to protect tertiary institutions following a security alert by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged plans by terrorists and bandit groups to attack schools across the state.

Dan’iya, also known as Walin Sokoto, made the call in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Aminu Abdullahi, expressing concern over what he described as a potentially serious threat to students, lecturers, non-academic staff and surrounding communities.

According to the statement, the DSS warning was contained in a letter dated July 18, 2026, and addressed to the Sokoto State Government. It reportedly indicated a possible tactical shift by criminal groups from targeting primary and secondary schools to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions.

Dan’iya said the reported shift was alarming, particularly because of the large number of people who reside, study and work within tertiary institutions.

He urged the Federal Government, Sokoto State Government and security agencies to treat the alert as an immediate security emergency and strengthen security around institutions across the state.

The ADC candidate called for increased surveillance, intelligence gathering, security patrols, rapid-response mechanisms and stronger coordination among security agencies.

He stressed that security agencies must act proactively rather than wait for criminals to carry out an attack before responding.

“A security warning of this nature must not be treated with kid gloves. Prevention is always better than responding after lives have been lost. The Federal and State Governments must act now, deploy the necessary security resources and ensure that our students, lecturers and educational institutions are protected,” Dan’iya said.

He also urged the management of tertiary institutions to review their internal security arrangements, strengthen communication with security agencies and provide appropriate safety guidance to students and staff.

The ADC governorship candidate further appealed to parents, traditional rulers, community leaders and residents around the institutions to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or activities to security authorities.

He noted that community-based intelligence could play an important role in preventing attacks and protecting educational institutions.

Dan’iya warned that allowing tertiary institutions to become targets of terrorists and bandits could further disrupt education in Sokoto, endanger thousands of young people and cause long-term damage to the state’s educational development.

He commended the DSS and other security agencies for issuing the early warning but urged them to follow it with decisive preventive action.

“We cannot afford another tragedy in our schools. The warning has been issued and the authorities have been alerted. What is required now is action. Every hour of delay increases the risk to innocent lives,” he said.

He reaffirmed that protecting lives and property remains a fundamental responsibility of government and called for intelligence-led operations, stronger community engagement and effective rapid-response mechanisms to prevent the reported threat from becoming a reality.