Jihadist groups in West Africa gain influence in northwestern Nigeria, which could become a "bridge" between different movements between the Sahel and the Lake Chad region, warned International Crisis Group (ICG) Monday. In addition to the jihadist presence, northwestern Nigeria has been home for many years to criminal groups that terrorize populations, attack civilians to steal livestock or land.
The violence has claimed the lives of some 8,000 people since 2011 and displaced more than 200,000 civilians, according to estimates by researchers from ICG, a Brussels-based security NGO.
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These armed groups, commonly known as "bandits" in Nigeria, are particularly violent but have so far operated under no ideological influence. "As the security situation deteriorated, the region fell under the influence of jihadist groups, which also carried out some attacks on the security forces in the region," the new article reads. ICG report on violence in northwestern Nigeria.
“The increase in the activity of jihadist groups in this area may raise fears that this region may become a bridge between the insurgents located in the Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Vosin) and the region of Lake Chad, in the north -est of Nigeria, " it says. Northeastern Nigeria (Borno and Yobe states) is ravaged by ten years of conflict against the jihadist group Boko Haram, which has left more than 36,000 people dead and millions displaced. Entire swathes of Nigerian territory are still in the hands of jihadist groups, and the military suffers from constant attacks on its positions. "Two groups emanating from Boko Haram impose themselves in the region, trace relay routes, between east and west by weaving important links with local populations, armed groups of nomadic herders and criminal gangs" , located in this crossroads region of the Sahel, notes the report.
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One of these factions, Ansaru, linked to Al-Quaïda and which split Boko Haram in 2012, was for many years more or less dormant, after a massive military intervention. The other faction, the Islamic State group in West Africa (Iswap), was dubbed by IS in 2016, and is carrying out numerous attacks in the northeast, notably against military forces or humanitarian personnel. These two groups seem to want to extend their area of influence by sending imams and food to the northwest (States of Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto, ...) and by claiming attacks in this area.
Nigerian police announced in February that they had killed more than 250 Ansaru fighters, but ICG is concerned about "insecure borders" between Niger and Nigeria, which "facilitate arms trafficking and jihadist movements" . Northeastern Nigeria is one of the last regions between northern Mali to Lake Chad which has so far escaped jihadist control, but, despite a large military deployment, the area remains insecure. Nigeria, a giant of 200 million inhabitants, faces many conflicts and security problems on its territory. Security agencies and the army are overwhelmed and insufficient in this vast territory with faulty infrastructure.