ISWAP claims recent attacks in North-east as Governor Zulum laments

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, has claimed responsibility for the recet three attacks on military positions in Borno and Yobe states.

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The terrorist group said it killed three Nigerian soldiers and injured seven others in the attacks.

A propaganda video released by the group shows heavily-armed fighters exchanging fire as they set vehicles ablaze. ISWAP also shows nine motorcycles believed to be looted from the attacks in the footage.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that ISWAP fighters stormed Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo (in Borno), and Katarko in Yobe.

The Nigerian Army said a joint task force under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), killed 50 of the terrorists with air support.

Sani Uba, the North-east spokesperson for the OPHK, said the attacks occurred between midnight and 4 a.m. when the terrorists simultaneously targeted troop locations, using armed drones and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).

Zulum laments

The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, lamented the terrorists’ use of drones, blaming the attacks on intelligence failure.

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According to a Daily Trust report, the governor said there was a well-circulated intelligence prior to the attack.

“We had credible intelligence that Mafa would be attacked, and it was duly circulated to all relevant authorities,” Mr Zulum was quoted saying when he visited Mafa. “I believe there is a need for us to come together, including the state and federal governments, as well as the military high command to identify the gaps and address them directly.”

The governor said he suspected sabotage within and it has to be “identified and addressed.”

“We don’t have to blame each other; we have to come together and resolve this situation,” he said.

Mr Zulum added that the successful use of drones by the terrorists exposed a critical vulnerability in Nigeria’s airspace security.

“One thing I want to comment on is the issue of drones,” he said. “This is frightening. In Dikwa, I was told drones were used. The proliferation of drones, particularly in the hands of non-state actors, is of great concern for the entire country. We have to do something to stop the rampant use of armed drones.”

Mr Zulum also called for a trans-border collaboration to strengthen “our airspace.” He noted that the security threats are beyond Borno.

“This is something that we need to address urgently; this is not an issue confined to Borno alone,” the governor said. “This is the right time for the security architecture to thoroughly look into strengthening the capability of our airspace to curtail the use of armed drones by terrorists.”

ISWAP/Boko Haram insurgency: A trans-border threat

Boko Haram, which split into at least three factions—ISWAP, Bakura Doro-led Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and Ansaru, continue to pose a regional threat to countries in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel.

With bases in Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger Republic, these groups have exploited weak border governance, capitalising on the grievances of disgruntled local Fulani in West Africa to sustain their operations.

READ ALSO: NEMA receives 150 stranded Nigerians from Niger Republic

To dismantle their operations across the borders, regional governments came up with collaborative frameworks and realigned existing ones such as the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), an initiative now threatened by the schism that rocked the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Established by Nigeria in 1994 to curb banditry and facilitate free movement of individuals and belongings along its northern border, the MNJTF was strengthened around 2015 to curtail Boko Haram in Lake Chad basin region.