Terrorism In Nigeria: All The Factions Involved
In the early hours of Friday, 26 December, between 00:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., the U.S. military carried out an airstrike on a terrorist base in Sokoto. The operation was executed by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) in collaboration with the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was authorized directly by the U.S. President, Donald Trump
There was a lot of confusion about which terrorists were targeted or if it even took place at all. The Nigerian Foreign Affairs Ministry, which collaborated with the US Africa Command Centre, didn’t specify the group that was targeted. But recent news outlets confirmed the terrorist group that was targeted was Lakurawa, a new terrorist group that a lot of people know little or nothing about—this prompted me to write on the factions of terrorism in Nigeria and the ideology of each of them.
Boko Haram or Jamaat Ahl al Sunnah al Dawa wa al Jihad (JAS) is one of the most well-known terrorist groups in Nigeria. It was founded by Mohammed Yusuf in Borno State in 2002. They started with limited violence for the first 7 years of their existence, but the turning point was in 2009 when their leader was killed. Their ideology is centered around rejecting Western influence, which is where they got their name from, Boko, a Hausa word meaning Western education, and haram, an Arabic word which means forbidden. They also see virtually all Muslims who don’t follow their ideology as unbelievers. They attack mostly by guerrilla-style operations, attacking symbols of the state, military positions, religious centres, and civilian residences. They also use suicide bombers in crowded areas.
Boko haram fomer leader, Abubakar shekau
Famous attacks conducted include the UN headquarters bombing in Abuja (2011), the Chibok girls abduction (2014), the Dapchi girls abduction (2018), etc. Their base and location of operation include northeastern Nigeria: Borno state, mostly the Sambisa forest and Lake Chad basin, Yobe state (early days), and neighboring countries like Chad, Niger, Cameroon, etc.
ISWAP (Islamic State - West Africa Province) is a terrorist group that is an affiliate of ISIS. Founded in the year 2016 by breaking away from Boko Haram. In 2009, boko haram was recognised by ISIS as an affiliate till around 2015 when Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, started refusing orders from ISIS central command because they claimed his methods were too brutal and criticized his mass killing and the use of women and children as suicide bombers. These two groups have since clashed against each other, a recent clash was in November 2025 around Lake Chad basin, with about 200 terrorists dead, mainly from ISWAP.
Their bases are found mainly in the Lake Chad basin in Borno State, Chad, and Cameroon. They focus mainly on military targets though there are cases of civilian attack. They also collect levies from fishermen and farmers. Famous attacks conducted by them include: the Metele military base attack, Borno state (2018), and the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba, November 2025.
Lakurawa is another terrorist group that was founded in 2018. They started as a self-defence movement against bandits, but as of 2023, they became feared among the populace as they terrorize civilians. Their activities are similar to bandits, and some people believe they belong to the same group. The only difference is that Lakurawa enforces Islamic law on civilians, which is ironic since most of the victims are Muslim. They don’t have an established ideology, unlike the 2 religious extremists stated above.
They operate in Sokoto and Kebbi, with places like Tangaza, the local government area that was targeted by the US, housing some of their bases. They also operate in Mali and Niger. They are suspected to have a link with ISIS, specifically Islamic State, Sahel province, and JNIM (Jamat Nusrat al Islamawal Muslimin). Lakurawa is a Hausa word that means “the recruits”.
Bandits are people who rob as a part of a group operating in an isolated area, according to the standard dictionary. In most countries, they are regarded as ordinary criminals, but the federal high court in November 2021, declared that banditry is an act of terror, and in January the following year, the federal government released a gazette to approve it. Banditry started way before the 2000s. It occurred mostly as cattle rustling between 2011 and 2015, and it later became organized crime, featuring large-scale kidnapping, village raids, and forced taxation.
Their ideology is mostly money-driven. They mostly operate in the North West and parts of the North Central. A prominent leader of theirs, is Bello Turji, who was recently warned by Habib Tajjie, the leader of Lakurawa, to stop his criminal activities.
The last group is the Fulani herders. These herders have been clashing with communities, mostly farmers, for years, though the issues were not always this severe. The advent of bandits who sometimes disguise themselves as herders further aggravates the issues.
In 1965, the government mapped out a grazing route for headers, who travel further south during the dry season. Due to poor planning, farms expand into this route in modern days. Also, some Fulani herdsmen wander away from these routes into farms and communities, leading to violent interactions. These clashes often give rise to retaliatory attacks. For instance, a herder who had his cattle killed in one town could go to another to kill innocent people. Clashes were fought with cutlasses and other simple weapons. These days, herders arm themselves with illegal guns, which they use for their terrorist acts. Some bandits also disguise themselves as herders during their operations. These terrorist acts occur in North Central, mostly the middle belt, and in some parts of the south west.
Agboola Abdurahmon
Post a Comment