The road to Maiduguri
On the evening of Friday, September 7 2018, fighters loyal to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) raised their flag over Gudumbali, the headquarters of Guzamala Local Government Area in Borno state. Soldiers and policemen in town abandoned their positions, and in some instances discarded their uniforms as they sought to escape the advancing terrorists...
The state of the Boko Haram insurgency
Sunday’s deadly suicide attack on a Sallah procession in Damboa, Borno State which claimed 31 lives underscores not only the resilience of the Boko Haram insurgency that has lasted for nine years, but the evolving nature of the conflict itself. This latest incident fits the profile of attacks on soft targets carried out by female suicide bombers. In the face of these attacks which are now so frequent as to have become routine, the Buhari administration has dialled down its claims of having “technically defeated” Boko Haram...
Analysis: Scrutinising the Boko Haram resurgence
Over the last few months, there has been a rise in attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist group in the North East. More worrying is that in some cases, these attacks have been successful, with Boko Haram overwhelming security forces and taking captives in the process. Many of these attacks are suicide attacks targeted at Maiduguri with the University of Maiduguri coming under a serious and concerted threat perhaps for the first time. This has led the authorities to dig a two metre trench around the school. This has led to a lot of talk about a resurgence of Boko Haram...
What is happening in the North East?
The last Ei-del-Fitr celebrations passed on peacefully for most of the day across North-East Nigeria, with an enforced restriction on movement for vehicles and even animals until noon in Maiduguri, capital of Borno, and birthplace of Boko Haram. Residents, especially young children and young women went about dressed colourfully celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan...
Could Jihadis confront each other in the Sahel?
In what is sure to have significant security and counter-terrorism implications on three continents, al-Mourabitoun, AQIM (AL Qaeda in the Maghreb), Ansar Dine, Macina Liberation Front have announced that they have all joined together to create a new but unified al-Qaeda Trans-Sahelian franchise...
Analysis – A look at Nigeria’s security situation
Last year, Nigeria’s security situation raised a lot of concern. There were surges in cattle rustling, attacks by pastoralists on farming communities, oil theft related violence, and attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta region. The Boko Haram insurgency, after a brief lapse, witnessed an increase in suicide attacks, and attacks on military units. All these, and other adventures, ensured that Nigeria’s security apparatus had their hands full all year...
The resurgence of Boko Haram
The Boko Haram insurgency entered its seventh year at the beginning of 2016, and a number of important factors have had a substantial effect on developments on this front. In May 2015, Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as President of Nigeria on an electoral platform that included taking a tougher stance on security issues...