{"id":90353,"date":"2024-06-27T07:14:05","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T07:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=90353"},"modified":"2024-06-27T07:14:05","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T07:14:05","slug":"danger-as-foreign-terrorists-allegedly-migrate-toward-nigerias-major-power-generating-town-of-kainji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=90353","title":{"rendered":"Danger as foreign terrorists allegedly migrate toward Nigeria’s major power-generating town of Kainji"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mike Odeh James and Stephen Kefas\u00a0<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Niger State is emerging as a hub for Jihadists from the Sahel region, and they have found a safe haven in Kainji town, according to security experts interviewed by TruthNigeria.\u00a0 Kainji Lake, the site of a federally administered natural park on the western edge of Niger State, is facing a potential security threat, say experts, who warn that \u00a0local Jihadist groups such as Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) and the influx of foreign terrorists pose a significant risk to Nigeria\u2019s national electricity grid.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Map of West Africa showing the migration of terrorists.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kainji Lake and surrounding area has become a safe haven for Jihadi fighters from North, South, and Central Africa, write scholars at the\u00a0Clingendael Institute, a think tank based in the Hague. The report suggests that the Jihadists are using the Benin Republic as a transit point to gain access to Niger State (North Central Nigeria). While the motive of the extremists is unclear, the report raises concerns about their potential relationship with other armed groups in the region.<\/span><\/p>\n

Security experts warn that the Jihadists are taking advantage of the volatile situation in Niger State to expand their reach into southern Nigeria. This development poses a significant threat to regional stability and security.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Jihadis Are Moving To Kainji<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Jihadists are Islamists who have been forced out of their hideouts\u00a0in Sahelian countries due to military pressure\u00a0or are fleeing internal conflicts in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger,\u201d Femi Iseilaye, a former police officer and security analyst based in Kogi State, told TruthNigeria.<\/span><\/p>\n

He noted that the\u00a0leaders of coups in several West African countries justified their takeovers in order to use more state resources to suppress jihadist insurgencies within their borders. \u00a0Once in power, they used their assets to bear down on foreign terrorists and their local allies. The military junta in Mali agreed to bring in the Russian mercenaries: \u00a0the\u00a0Wagner Group. The Russians operate chiefly in Central Mali to degrade the combat effectiveness of the \u00a0Peulh tribe, related to the Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria, who have allied themselves with an Al Qaeda insurgency.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, many of these Jihadists\u00a0are fleeing to safer grounds, with the Benin Republic serving as a hub and migratory route for those escaping into Nigeria\u2019s north-central region,\u201d\u00a0Iseilaye told TruthNigeria.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not that the Wagner Group and government forces are recording progress against the Jihadists, but the thought of renewed offensive is making many of them to move to areas considered as soft targets, Iseilaye added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Peter Edeh, a lecturer at the University of Abuja, told TruthNigeria that the ongoing clashes between Jama\u2019atu Nusratil Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State Greater Sahara (ISGS) in Burkina Faso and Mali have exposed them to attacks from regional governments as well as from themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSince 2019, these two groups have clashed over 200 times, resulting in significant loss of life. The military onslaught by the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has further\u00a0worsened their situation,\u201d Edeh noted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany fighters have moved to the Benin Republic and are quietly moving into Kainji and neighboring areas,\u201d Edeh added.<\/span><\/p>\n

ISWAP fighters long embedded in Niger State may have been responsible for the influx of foreign terrorists, Edeh went on to say.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my estimation, ISWAP members are the ones that reached out to the foreign Jihadis,\u201d said Edeh, reflecting an assessment shared by the Counterterrorist journal, HumAngle, which reported two years ago that ISWAP had rebranded itself and taken up a role as\u00a0coordinator of various terror groups in the Sahel. \u00a0\u201cThe Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has intensified operations and expanded its sphere of influence, bringing other franchises of the Islamic State in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso under a new arrangement where the ISWAP leader has a say in their violent campaign,\u201d according to HumAngle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dangers to Nigeria\u2019s Economy<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Kainji\u00a0is home to Nigeria\u2019s largest hydroelectric power station and dam, located in Kanji town, Borgu County\u00a0(local government area) and poses a potential vulnerability to the nation\u2019s\u00a0power grid.<\/span><\/p>\n

The dam and its corresponding lake cover a vast area of approximately 483 square miles, with a maximum depth of 180 feet and a length of 85 miles.<\/span><\/p>\n

It plays a crucial role in\u00a0supplying electricity to all major cities in Nigeria, as well as to neighboring countries Benin and the Niger Republic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Influx Threatens Nigeria\u2019s Power Grid<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

According to Edeh, \u201cISWAP, Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups have a history of sabotaging telecommunications masts and bombing power stations in Borno State, Northeast Nigeria. If given the opportunity, they would likely do the same,\u00a0causing widespread disruption to the country\u2019s\u00a0electricity supply.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Edeh emphasized the potential consequences, stating, \u201cImagine a Nigeria without electricity. Industries, hospitals, bakeries, and all aspects of Nigerian life would be severely impacted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A New Front Opens Against the Military as Terrorists Push Southward<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Nigeria\u2019s government must act swiftly to prevent foreign terrorists from entering the country through its porous borders with the Benin Republic, according to retired Navy Captain Umar Bakori, President of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe threat is real, and the consequences of inaction could be devastating,\u201d Bakori told TruthNigeria.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bakori said he has urged the government to boost its military presence in Kwara and Niger states and to deploy all necessary security forces, including the DSS, forest guards, and military, to Borgu Forest and Kainji National Park.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLocal intelligence is crucial in this fight, and the government must work closely with local vigilante groups and communities to gather information and prevent terrorist infiltration,\u201d he went on to say.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe stakes are high, and Nigeria cannot afford to wait. Bakori warns that terrorists are already moving freely into the Niger Republic from the Benin Republic, and it\u2019s only a matter of time before they try to enter Nigeria. The government must take immediate action to secure its borders and protect its citizens,\u201d Bakori said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf Mike Odeh James and Steven Kefas, conflict reporters with TruthNigeria.com did the above report for the online news outlet.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

Everyday.ng<\/strong> recalls that the Federal Government’s secret trial of Boko Haram insurgents was slated for Kainji town, where a substantial number of them are kept.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a commentator on public affairs, Rev. Polycarp Gbaja, fears that the report of movement of Jihadis to Kainji portends a clear and present danger to the country and calls on the security forces to take counter-measures.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Mike Odeh James and Stephen Kefas\u00a0 Niger State is emerging as a hub for Jihadists from the Sahel region, and they have found a safe haven in Kainji town, according to security experts interviewed by TruthNigeria.\u00a0 Kainji Lake, the site of a federally administered natural park on the western edge of Niger State, is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":90355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5807],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-crime-and-violence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=90353"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90353\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/90355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=90353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=90353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=90353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}