The alert comes as Nigeria confronts a decade-long insurgency in its north and follows a 2022 attack on the same Abuja prison that freed 879 inmates, including 64 ISWAP members. The memo identified a pattern consistent with recent large-scale attacks on aviation facilities in neighboring Niger Republic, raising concerns that militants are replicating those tactics inside Nigeria.
Nigerian security forces are on high alert for a planned Islamist militant attack on the international airport and a prison facility in the capital, Abuja, as well as a military detention center in neighboring Niger state, according to an internal government memo obtained by the Associated Press.
The April 13 memo, from the Nigeria Customs Service, warned that sleeper cells of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram intended to release detained terrorists and damage critical aviation infrastructure. “Their intention is to release detained terrorists and inflict significant damage on critical aviation infrastructure,” the memo stated.
The planned targets include Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, a prison facility in the capital, and a military detention center across the state border in Niger state.
Attack pattern mirrors Niger Republic strikes
The memo identified a correlation between the potential targeting of Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport and recent large-scale attacks on aviation facilities in Niger Republic — specifically strikes on air force installations in Niamey and Tahoua. According to the memo, the analysis “suggests a possible intent by terrorists to replicate the attack patterns within Nigeria.”
A senior customs service official, who is not authorized to speak to journalists, told AP that “the military and paramilitary forces are all on high alert and ready to forestall the attack.” The Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian military had not responded to AP’s requests for comment at the time of publication.
2022 prison attack provides a precedent
The warned prison facility was the target of an assault in 2022 that resulted in the escape of 879 inmates, including 64 members of ISWAP, which claimed responsibility for that attack.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has faced a complex security crisis for more than a decade, particularly in the north, where Boko Haram, ISWAP, and the IS-linked Lakurawa group — operating in communities along the border with Niger Republic — are among the most active armed factions. Kidnapping for ransom remains widespread across the region.
U.S. embassy departure, government response
The United States last week authorized non-emergency government employees and their families at its Abuja embassy to leave Nigeria, citing a spike in terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and violent crimes, particularly in the north. The U.S. Embassy in Abuja remains open.
Nigeria’s information minister, Mohammed Idris, characterized the U.S. decision as “a routine precaution guided by internal protocols,” saying it did not reflect the overall security situation in the country.