Why there are many terrorists in Nigeria

A security expert, Bright Echefu, has attributed the influx of terrorists into Nigeria to a prison break in Niger Republic, which led to the escape of several jihadist inmates from the facility.

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Mr Echefu, president and managing director of EIB Group, a Nigerian firm that manufactures advanced security equipment like drones and bombs, revealed that many of the escapees have migrated into Nigeria, adding more pressure on the country’s security forces.

He disclosed this during a media tour of EIB Group’s subsidiaries in Abuja on Friday, where he highlighted the silent but significant efforts of the Nigerian military in combating terrorism across the country.

“You won’t believe the amount of successes that has been recorded by the Armed Forces of Nigeria, but you know, they are very quiet about their things. If you look, if only you can go deep into finding out, if I tell you how many have been neutralised, you’ll be shocked. You will be shocked by the numbers. And again, you know, recently there was a jailbreak in the Niger Republic and a lot of elements from that side also have migrated into Nigeria,” he said.

On 10 July, several prisoners escaped from the Koutoukale prison, a heavily fortified correctional facility near Niamey, the Nigerien capital. The prison is known for holding jihadist fighters, including members of extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

In response to the breakout, Nigerien authorities imposed a curfew in surrounding volatile regions. Despite the measure, many of the fugitives are believed to have crossed the border into Nigeria, further complicating regional security challenges.

Niger, alongside neighbouring countries Mali and Burkina Faso, all currently under military regimes have been grappling with increasing jihadist violence.

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The three nations recently severed military ties with France and have increasingly turned to Russia for support in fighting terrorism. The conflict has already claimed thousands of lives and displaced over three million people across the region.

In response to the prison break, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Wednesday issued an alert to its border commands, particularly those along the Nigeria–Niger Republic axis, over the possible infiltration of suspected terrorists who escaped from jail.

As of now, there has been no official report confirming the arrest of any of the fleeing inmates.

Nigeria’s silent war on terror

Mr Echefu commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their resilience, stating that despite suffering considerable losses, they have recorded significant victories in neutralising terrorists, most of which go unreported.

“So you can understand that the pressure on the Armed Forces of Nigeria is quite heavy, but they are doing extremely very very well, extremely very well. We’ve lost a lot of soldiers trying to save the country, do you understand? So a lot has gone into it. They are doing a lot, a whole lot. I’m speaking from my experience,” he said.

Role of EIB Group

The EIB Group plays a critical role in Nigeria’s anti-insurgency strategy by providing the military with sophisticated weapons and surveillance tools. The company designs and deploys combat drones from its Abuja facility to targeted locations in any parts of the country.

Mr Echefu noted that the company’s technology allows for precise targeting of insurgents, a situation that is capable of minimising collateral damage.

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“So depending on what area of security I’m talking about. Now, these elements we are referring to as threats have been there for a very long time. They are within us. Some of them are like living communities. You can’t just go to a community and destroy everybody there because of one person. So what we’ve done or what is happening is that there are isolated peaks, isolated targets.You understand my point?

“And that process is an ongoing process compared to what it was in 2000 and let’s say 2010, 2008, during the major Boko Haram activities. A lot has improved right now. It’s just unfortunate that the military does not publicise what successes they’ve recorded,” he said.