FBI Director Christopher Wray warns of increasing concerns over a coordinated jihadist attack on U.S. soil, as militants from Africa's Sahel region settle in northwestern Nigeria.
FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed concerns about the potential for a coordinated jihadist attack on U.S. soil, citing the recent ISIS-K attack in Russia as an example. The warning comes amid reports that jihadi fighters from the volatile Sahel region of Africa have settled in northwestern Nigeria after crossing from neighboring Benin.
The trend of militants moving to wealthier West African coastal nations has raised alarms, as the Sahel region is a known global hot spot for violent extremism. The security crisis in the region has worsened with military coups toppling democratic governments and the military governments turning to Russia for support.
Rising Concerns Over Jihadist Threat in U.S. as Militants Settle in Nigeria
Extremists linked to al-Qaida have established a presence in Kainji Lake National Park, one of Nigeria's largest, which is poorly patrolled and home to one of West Africa's fast-declining lion populations.
"Before, it was like a tourism center (but) now, people find it difficult to pass through there," said John Yerima, a resident near the park. "You cannot enter that road (leading to the park) now. It is dangerous, seriously."
Rising Concerns Over Jihadist Threat in U.S. as Militants Settle in Nigeria
The sustained presence of armed groups in the park suggests a connection between Nigeria's homegrown extremists and al-Qaida-linked militants from the Sahel. This presence offers an opportunity for the extremists to claim large-scale success in both countries, which have already experienced deadly attacks in recent years.
Known for its poverty and remote territories, northwest Nigeria provides an opportune environment for jihadi groups seeking expansion. The Clingendael Institute report warns that a link between Lake Chad and the Sahel presents a significant opportunity for al-Qaida and the Islamic State to bolster their profiles.
Conservationists also express concerns that the presence of armed groups in the park poses threats to the remaining lions, whose populations have declined due to poaching and climate change. The park and most protected wildlife areas in Nigeria are poorly patrolled, making them vulnerable to exploitation.
"The security situation has become top of the list when it comes to the concerns about the lion populations in Nigeria," said Stella Egbe, senior conservation manager at the Nigerian Conservation Foundation.
Despite aerial bombardments and troop deployments, the Nigerian military remains outnumbered and outgunned in conflict-battered northern regions, where poverty remains a root cause of the conflict.
The Clingendael report highlights the unclear motives of the Sahel extremists in the park and their potential relationship with other armed groups there. Security analysts suggest that the presence offers logistical opportunities and influence amid booming illegal trade across the porous border.
"The Sahelian jihadis potentially can try to use northwestern Nigeria as a place for fundraising, for logistics and to try to influence the jihadi groups there as part of their own competition," said James Barnett, a fellow at the Hudson Institute.
While banditry remains the major security threat in many villages in Nigeria's northwest, Barnett warns that even rare collaborations between bandits and jihadi fighters can have deadly consequences.
