The federal government on Friday issued a warning that Boko Haram terrorists were planning to abduct students and foreigners for ransom during the holidays in a desperate move to raise money for supplies, following troops’ ongoing onslaughts against their locations in the North east.

The warning was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and signed by his Special Adviser, Segun Adeyemi.

“The kidnap of the Chibok girls in 2014, which attracted global attention to the terrorist group, is what it is now trying to repeat, hoping it can find vulnerable targets, especially schools, or a group of foreigners outside the frontline states,” the statement read.

“The plan by Boko Haram is also part of an overall strategy by the terrorists to seek to negatively impact on the psyche of the gallant troops who have routed them (terrorists) from their stronghold and also give the impression that they have not been largely defeated by the December 2015 deadline given by this Administration to effectively degrade the insurgency in the North-east.”

Mohammed called on school authorities, both public and private, especially in the northern states, to beef up security in and around their premises.

The information also applies to operators of entertainment centres, the minister added.

“It is also aimed at alerting the general public, operators of hotels and entertainment centres, motor parks and similar facilities to also upgrade their security arrangements for the holidays,” he said.