“US Security Alert: Lagos, Southern Coast Flagged as Potential Jihadist Infiltration Corridor”
The United States has raised fresh concerns that Al-Qaeda and ISIS are actively seeking to expand their operations into Southern Nigeria, while Al-Qaeda is already making inroads in the North-West.
Dagvin Anderson, Commander of US Special Operations Command Africa (AFRICOM), disclosed this during a media briefing, warning that both groups are looking to extend their reach beyond their traditional strongholds.
Anderson stated that Al-Qaeda is expanding into other parts of West Africa, including Nigeria’s North-West, and that ISIS and Al-Qaeda are exploring opportunities to push further south into littoral (coastal) areas.
“We have engaged with Nigeria and continue to engage with them in intel sharing and in understanding what these violent extremists are doing,” he said.
“That has been absolutely critical to their engagements up in Borno state and into an emerging area of northwest Nigeria that we’re seeing Al-Qaeda starting to make some inroads in.
“So, this intelligence sharing is absolutely vital and we stay fully engaged with the government of Nigeria to provide them with an understanding of what these terrorists are doing, what Boko Haram is doing, what ISIS-West Africa is doing, and how ISIS and Al-Qaeda are looking to expand further south into the littoral areas.”
Anderson expressed regret over setbacks despite previous successes, noting that international partners often underestimate the resilience of these groups.
“We as a community of international nations keep thinking we have defeated them or we have put them on their back foot and that they’re just moments from disintegration,” he said.
He emphasized that Nigeria must take the lead in counterterrorism efforts, describing the country as a “critical nation” and “lynchpin” in West Africa.
“When it comes to Nigeria in general, Nigeria, obviously, is a critical nation to West Africa. It is a critical nation and we realise that Nigeria is a lynchpin,” Anderson added.
The US commander reaffirmed continued partnership with Nigeria through intelligence sharing and support to counter the evolving threat from jihadist groups expanding beyond the North-East.
The warning highlights growing US concern over the southward creep of terrorist networks into Nigeria’s Middle Belt, South-West, and South-East regions, where groups have historically had limited presence. It comes amid recent deadly attacks in north-central states like Kwara and Niger, raising fears of a broader national security challenge.
