-
ISWAP logistics hub confirmed in Sokoto, linking ISIS affiliates in Nigeria and the Sahel
-
US air strikes in Sokoto followed Nigerian government request, AFRICOM confirms
-
Lakurawa militants identified as cover for ISSP and ISWAP operations in the North-West
A new security study has confirmed the existence of an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) logistics hub in Sokoto State, raising fresh questions about the scope and geographic focus of recent United States air strikes targeting ISIS-linked militants in Nigeria.
The study, published by the Combating Terrorism Centre (CTC) and authored by James Barnett and Umar Musa, found that extremist elements operating under the local alias “Lakurawa” in Sokoto are connected to Islamic State affiliates active across Nigeria and the Sahel region.
READ ALSO: Anxiety as DSS Arrests Two Suspected ISWAP Terrorists in Lagos Days to Christmas
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
ISWAP, traditionally concentrated in Nigeria’s North-East and the Lake Chad Basin, has increasingly expanded its logistical and coordination footprint into the North-West, according to the report. Sokoto, where US forces conducted air strikes on Friday, lies outside the group’s known core operational zone.
Researchers traced the emergence of Lakurawa militants in border communities of Sokoto State to late 2017, noting that the group initially consisted of fighters linked to Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), Al-Qaeda’s Sahel affiliate. Over time, however, these fighters are believed to have aligned with the Islamic State’s Sahel Province (ISSP).
The report said ISSP operatives currently use Lakurawa as a cover identity while maintaining an ISWAP logistics hub in Sokoto to facilitate coordination between the two ISIS-linked factions operating across West Africa.
According to the study, the blurred identities of armed groups in the region have aided their survival, allowing militants to operate discreetly within local communities. It noted that operatives deliberately avoid disclosing their true affiliations because the uncertainty benefits their operations.
The research also highlighted that bandit groups responsible for widespread violence in the North-West often originate from Muslim-majority areas in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, and Kebbi states, making Muslim civilians both major victims and, in some cases, participants in the conflict.
United Nations experts cited in the report confirmed the presence of ISSP elements in Sokoto and Kebbi States, alongside the ISWAP logistics hub believed to support cross-border coordination.
Meanwhile, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the latest air strikes in Sokoto were carried out at the request of Nigerian authorities. Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the request and disclosed that additional strikes could follow as long as terrorist threats persist.
