There are indications that suspected terrorists in northern Nigeria are relocating following missile strikes carried out by the United States on Thursday night.
Credible community leaders told Sunday Punch that unusual movements were observed as the hoodlums began migrating in small groups after the Christmas Day attacks.
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the US military had carried out deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in north-western Nigeria.
Confirming the development, the Federal Government said it supported the US operation and that the strikes targeted locations being used by the terrorists.
However, no casualties were recorded in the two areas hit by the missiles.
In Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, a missile landed on farmland, while some buildings were affected in Offa, Kwara State.
Officials in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State also said additional missile strikes targeted suspected hideouts of the Lakurawa armed group in parts of the Sokoto axis.
Although no deaths were reported, several residents sustained injuries and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
Influx of bandits in Benue
The Chairman of the Traditional Council in Gwer West LGA of Benue State, Daniel Abomtse, raised concerns over the influx of armed herders into some communities following the US strike.
Speaking on Saturday, the traditional ruler said he noticed the presence of armed herders in his area.
“I felt their movement in my local government and also in Agatu LGA. They have been running from Sokoto to coastal areas in Gwer West and Agatu with sophisticated weapons and grazing openly. They are in my domain,” he said.
While commending the US strike, Abomtse urged Trump to extend the operation to Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Niger and Plateau states.
“What President Trump has done is one of the best things to happen to Nigeria. I commend him for confronting a menace that started about 16 years ago,” he added.
Attempts to get confirmation from the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were unanswered at the time of filing this report.
Sokoto terrorists in disarray
Security sources and residents said the Christmas attacks disrupted bandits’ operations and forced them to abandon their hideouts.
Community leaders in Tangaza, Gudu and parts of Illela in Sokoto State said there were signs of movement and dislocation among armed groups after the strike.
Some residents, who spoke anonymously, said bandits were seen moving in smaller numbers towards remote forest corridors, while others attempted to cross into neighbouring border communities to evade surveillance.
A community leader in Tangaza said the airstrike sent a strong warning and forced criminals to abandon known routes and camps.
“People are cautious, but there is relief that their hideouts were hit,” he said.
Sokoto State officials said intelligence assessments were ongoing to determine the scale and direction of the movements.
A senior official said security agencies were on high alert to prevent infiltration into safer communities, noting that border patrols and joint operations were being intensified to block escape routes.
Security expert Bashar Umar said the state government, working with the military and other agencies, was strengthening surveillance in border local governments to curb terrorist movement.
US scans Sambisa Forest
A United States congressman, Riley Moore, said the strikes prevented deadly Christmas attacks in Nigeria.
In a post on X on Saturday, Moore noted that Christians had been killed in Nigeria during the last two Christmas seasons.
“This year, thanks to @POTUS, radical Islamic terrorists were on the receiving end of 12 Tomahawk missiles. The successful strikes on ISIS, coordinated with the Nigerian government, are just the first step towards securing the country,” he said.
It was also learnt that the US had resumed surveillance operations in the Sambisa Forest, Borno State.
A Sahel-focused terrorism tracker, Brant Philip, disclosed on X that flight-tracking data showed an aircraft operating over Borno State.
According to the post, the aircraft was a Gulfstream V, commonly modified for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
“The United States resumed ISR operations on ISWAP in the Sambisa Forest after a one-day pause following the Sokoto strikes,” he wrote.
Terrorists dislocated, may seek support – experts
Security analyst and Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Consulting, Kabiru Adamu, said fleeing terrorists might attempt to blend into law-abiding communities.
Adamu warned that the groups could also seek support from international terror networks and sympathetic governments.
“There will be dislocation after the US strike. Terrorists will leave known locations and may try to integrate with civilians,” he said.
“They may also push propaganda that a Christian country is attacking Muslims to gain sympathy and support, including funding and membership.”
Professor of Political Science and Defence Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Tar Usman, said the strikes would distract terrorists from planning attacks due to fear of further US action.
“The uncertainty of future strikes will create panic among them, which is good because it disrupts their operations,” he said.
However, he cautioned that terrorism would not end immediately, noting that the groups could change tactics and attempt to mix with the public.
A top government source disclosed that the US and Nigeria were working together to end killings, banditry and kidnapping, adding that some terrorists were fleeing towards Kogi and neighbouring states, with measures in place to flush them out.
