By Kingsley Omonobi
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and take appropriate precautionary measures amid potential security threats in parts of the country.
The advisory, dated August 27, 2026, was circulated to security agencies as part of efforts to strengthen public awareness and preventive security measures.
According to ONSA, the alert followed sustained military operations, intelligence gathering and threat monitoring by Nigerian security agencies in collaboration with local and international partners.
The agency said recent operations had recorded significant successes against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), bandit groups and other criminal networks, including the elimination of several terrorist and bandit commanders.
Among those reportedly killed was an ISWAP commander, Abubakar Mainok, also known as Abu Bilal Al-Minuki.
ONSA said the operations had also disrupted terrorist camps, hideouts and other criminal strongholds in parts of the country.
“This advisory is issued against the backdrop of sustained operations by Nigerian security agencies across the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions, which have recorded notable successes against ISWAP and other criminal groups,” the agency said.
However, it cautioned that despite the setbacks suffered by terrorist and criminal groups, they could resort to isolated attacks to create fear, attract attention or demonstrate their continued operational capability.
The agency therefore urged members of the public to pay close attention to their surroundings and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.
“Citizens are encouraged to remain alert to unusual or suspicious persons, objects, vehicles, and movements within their environment,” the advisory stated.
The National Security Adviser also called on state and local government authorities to strengthen community vigilance, support preventive security measures and ensure timely sharing of relevant information with security agencies.
While urging Nigerians to remain calm, ONSA cautioned against circulating unverified information that could cause unnecessary panic or undermine ongoing security operations.
The agency reaffirmed that the protection of lives and property remained a priority of the Federal Government and called for continued cooperation between citizens and security agencies.
“The government will also continue to work closely with the international community through sustained intelligence sharing, security cooperation, and coordinated preventive measures to address evolving threats and strengthen collective security,” ONSA said.
The advisory underscored the importance of community-based intelligence, public vigilance and coordinated security responses as security agencies continue operations against terrorist, bandit and other criminal networks across vulnerable areas of the country.
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