The Adamawa State Government has officially announced the cancellation of all “cross-over” night activities and religious services traditionally held to usher in the New Year. This decisive move, communicated through a circular from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, comes as a direct response to escalating security threats and intelligence reports suggesting potential disruptions by non-state actors during the festive transition.
For years, the night of December 31st has been a significant cultural and religious milestone in Nigeria, marked by large gatherings in churches, mosques, and public squares. However, the State Government, led by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, has prioritised public safety over tradition. The directive mandates that all festivities and gatherings must conclude well before the state’s existing curfew hours, effectively banning the midnight vigil services that are a staple of the New Year celebration.
Security agencies across Adamawa have been placed on high alert to enforce this directive. The police command and other paramilitary units have been instructed to increase patrols and surveillance in sensitive areas, particularly around worship centres and popular social hubs. The government has appealed to religious leaders and community heads to cooperate with the new regulations, emphasizing that the measure is temporary and necessary to prevent the loss of lives and property.
This cancellation highlights the deepening anxiety surrounding security in the Northeast. While Adamawa has seen periods of relative calm compared to its neighbours, the persistent threat of insurgent remnants and the rise of local banditry have made large, nocturnal public gatherings a high-risk venture. Officials expressed regret over the necessity of the ban but maintained that the protection of citizens remains the administration’s primary constitutional obligation. Residents have been encouraged to celebrate within their homes and to remain vigilant, reporting any suspicious activities to the nearest security post.
Insecurity remains a defining crisis for Nigeria, particularly in the North, where a volatile mix of insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping-for-hire has destabilised entire communities. Recent months have seen a surge in mass abductions of students and targeted attacks on rural villages. In a recent assessment, SBM Intelligence noted that “the geographical spread of insecurity in the North has widened, with banditry in the Northwest and North-central now often proving more lethal and frequent than the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.” This fragmentation of violence has made traditional state-led security responses increasingly difficult to coordinate.
The economic and social toll of this instability is profound. SBM Intelligence further highlights that “Nigeria’s insecurity has evolved into a self-sustaining economy of violence, where the absence of state presence in rural areas has allowed criminal franchises to collect ‘taxes’ and control local trade routes.” This environment of fear has not only restricted freedom of movement but has also led to a significant decline in agricultural productivity, as farmers are increasingly unable to access their lands without paying protection money to armed groups, further exacerbating the national food security crisis.
Nigeria is not alone in adjusting its celebrations due to security concerns; several cities across the globe have recently taken similar measures. In Europe, major hubs like Berlin and Paris have historically scaled back or cancelled fireworks displays and large public gatherings when specific “high-probability” terror threats were identified by intelligence agencies. Following the outbreak of regional conflicts, many cities in the Middle East and parts of South Asia have also restricted New Year festivities to prevent large crowds from becoming targets for extremist groups or to maintain order during periods of civil unrest.
In the Americas, security-related cancellations often stem from different drivers, such as civil disturbances or specific threats against infrastructure. For instance, some metropolitan areas have previously cancelled outdoor events during periods of heightened domestic tension or when police resources were stretched thin by competing security demands. Regardless of the region, these cancellations underscore a growing global trend where the traditional openness of New Year celebrations is being curtailed by the increasing complexity of modern security threats and the prioritisation of risk mitigation.
