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How cross-border smuggling increases Terrorism within the LCRBA
How cross-border smuggling increases Terrorism within the LCRBA
By: Zagazola Makama
The outlets and network of insurgency groups, invariably thrives on paddles of uninterrupted proliferation of smuggling of resources for survival. This is but the center of gravity of a more than a decade old insurgency campaign in the Northeast.
The network of proliferation and smuggling are tied to established strongholds, links and machinery of motions like couriers and spies who live by means to evade detection.
Despite means to curtail the nuisance, a persistent and sustained insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin is being threatened by exacerbated form of an intricate network of smuggling and illicit activities alongside funds and a strong ideological base that aids support to provide essential supplies to terrorist groups such as Boko Haram factions.
These networks, stretching across the Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, the Sahel and greater SAHEL which have become disturbing, ugly and notorious lifeline for insurgency, enabling groups linked to global terrorist organisations to sustain their operations and pose significant threats to National Security always and to the wider regional stability.
Zagazola understands that smugglers transport food, fuel, arms, and even uniforms to insurgent camps through a carefully mapped routes. Observably to be precise in the heart of the extreme north of the Cameroons, villages like Bulgaram, Cikka, Guma, Maltam, Doron Liman, and Ramin Dorina serve as critical transit points for supplies destined for terrorist-controlled areas.
This maintains an uninterrupted supply to outlets in Marte, Gamboru Ngala, Bama, Dikwa Local Government Areas areas amongst others in Borno State as well established a hub for food supplies funneled from Cameroon’s the Darak village and also amongst others. These supplies are often moved under the cover of night, leveraging market activities in towns like Kinchendi to obscure the illicit trade.
Borno state is bordered by Chad, Niger and Cameroon. With Kukawa and Abadam local government areas of the state bordering Tchad-Abadam, Mobbar bordering Niger Republic and Gamboru, Kala Balge, Bama and Gwoza bordering Cameroon. The hinterland axis provided the route for easy movement of weapons to the terrorist cells in Nigeria as well as fuel supplies.
Equally, the waterways and island lands provide the strategic location to facilitates the group movements on flying boats to enable them reach the terrorists locations with ease. These activities have recorded increase in recent times due to the withdrawal of the MNJTF maritime operation contingent in Darak. Similarly, Fuel and arms smuggling are equally rampant, with supplies transported from Kaula village in Niger to Tumbum Jaki, a notorious insurgent stronghold.
Smugglers often use firewood sellers and livestock transported in trucks as cover, allowing insurgents to blend into local communities. In Nigeria, towns like Jakana, Minok, Banishaik, Babangida, and Gaidam in Yobe State, as well as Hadejia in Jigawa State, are key points for distributing smuggled goods, fuel and arms including motorcycles used by terrorists for mobility.
Beyond logistical support, the insurgents have established revenue-generation networks. These include taxing local smugglers and merchants in areas like Gegime, Niger Republic, and engaging in fish and livestock trading through towns like Hadejia, Jigawa State as well as the sale of livestock from the Lake Chad through MONGUNO town, going to other parts of the country. This income is funneled back into their operations, perpetuating the cycle of violence and instability.
ISWAP have also have maintained a logistical support base in Kano, where agents of Bereau de-Change and other collaborators received money on behalf of the insurgents to fund activities of the insurgents in the Lake Chad. Other networks are domiciled in Maiduguri, Borno capital.
Escape routes for terrorists and collaborators also highlight the sophistication of these networks. Using points in Niger Republic such as Gigeme, or Cameroon villages like Mokolo and Bulgaram, insurgents disguise themselves and infiltrate Nigerian towns, including Madagali, and Mubi in Adamawa State, and cities like Kano and Abuja, often starting new lives or regrouping for further attacks. In many cases, they are transported through trucks conveying livestock that is heading to other part of the country.
The scale of this smuggling underscores the urgent need for coordinated action. To dismantle these networks security agencies must enhance surveillance along identified smuggling routes in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger. Regional collaboration between Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger is essential. Joint task forces and intelligence-sharing mechanisms can help track smugglers and cut off supply chains to terrorist groups.
The growing sophistication of smuggling networks in the Lake Chad region not only fuels terrorism but also undermines national security. A comprehensive and sustained effort is required to dismantle these operations and restore stability to the region. The time to act is now, before these illicit activities further entrench themselves as a permanent fixture of insecurity in the Sahel and beyond.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region.
How cross-border smuggling increases Terrorism within the LCRBA
Fadile Pays Tribute to Late CJN Mohammed Uwais, Describes Him as “My Father in the Judiciary.”
By: Michael Mike
The first military-trained lawyer with a PhD in International Law in Nigeria, Col. Bello Fadile (rtd), has mourned the passing of a stalwart, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais GCON, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), who passed on at the age of 89.
Fadile, a prominent figure and author, paid a heartfelt tribute yesterday to the late jurist, describing him as “My Father in the Judiciary.”
Fadile recounted the remarkable story of how Justice Uwais, then CJN, intervened on his behalf during his detention in 1995, braving the military regime to ensure his release.
The Nigerian Army’s first lawyer tribute highlighted Justice Uwais’s unwavering commitment to justice, humility, and integrity. He quoted Uwais’s powerful statement: “A corrupt judge is more harmful to society than a man who runs amok with a dagger in a crowded street.”
Part of the statement read: “At the ripe age of 89, he left us in this sinful world as Allah SWT willed. We accept the vadict as appeal lies nowhere. To we the immediate families, we pray to Allah SWT to give us the fortitude to carry on relying on the principles he lived on and left for us which are:- humility, impartiality, humane, love, detribalised, uprightness and fear of Almighty Allah SWT.
“And to the Nigerian judiciary which he dedicated his life to, i urge you all to follow his footsteps, which he captured brilliantly;
‘ A corrupt judge is more harmful to the society than a man who runs amok with a dagger in a crowded street. The latter can be restrained physically. But a corrupt judge deliberately destroys the moral foundation of society and causes incalculable distress to individuals through abusing his office while still being referred to as Honorable “
“ As captured in my book, Lives: The Bello Fadile Memoirs, I shall forever be grateful to MyLord, the Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais GCON for the risk he took when I was arrested for the alleged fathom coup in 1995.”
Fadile who is the founder and chair of the Council for African Security Affairs, recounted how he was “detained near his house and I sent at note to him as the then CJN, without hesitation or fear of the military, his life or his job, he acted on my request and reached out Late Honorable Justice Karibi-Whyte and together they raised my detention with the Head of Military Government. And of course, they became my link to the Head of State, going and coming back with messages. What man with a lion heart.”
“On my release in March 1999. MyLord traveled from Abuja to Kaduna to see me. He came with clothes, bundles of sheda, and thousands of cash. That was my Father in the Judiciary for you. I was able to see him after 10 years in November 2024, and now he is no more.,” he added.
Fadile noted that late Justice Uwais’s legacy serves as a shining example for the Nigerian judiciary.
According to him, Justice Uwais’s remarkable life and contributions to Nigeria’s judiciary will be remembered for generations to come, adding that “his courage, integrity, and dedication to justice have left an indelible mark on the nation’s legal landscape”.
Fadile Pays Tribute to Late CJN Mohammed Uwais, Describes Him as “My Father in the Judiciary.”
Alau Dam: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work.
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has called on the Federal Government to accelerate the rehabilitation and expansion of the Alau Dam to avert a repeat of last year’s devastating flood disaster.
Maiduguri and surrounding local government areas experienced their worst flooding in decades following the collapse of the Alau Dam in 2024. In response, the Federal Government approved N80 billion for the dam’s reconstruction and expansion, with a groundbreaking ceremony held in March 2025 to mark the commencement of the project.
Governor Zulum while responding to a request by the Shehu of Borno, Dr. Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, on the need to fast tract the project, during the traditional Sallah homage at the Government House in Maiduguri. The Governor expressed concern over the slow pace of work, warning that the rainy season has already begun.
“After the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and expansion of the dam, which we all attended, the truth is that the work is not progressing as expected,” Governor Zulum stated.
“The last time I visited the President, I informed him about the true state of the project, and I assure you that I will not relent. I will continue to follow up, and I have also notified the Vice President as well. In the meantime, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has constituted a committee to provide immediate intervention at the dam.”.
The governor pledged to connect all local government headquarters to the national grid before the end of his tenure. He also promised massive road rehabilitation once the Pulka quarry plant is completed.
“These are two critical issues dear to me, he said. I assure Your Royal Highness that all local government headquarters will be connected to electricity before my tenure expires, Insha Allah. Regarding road infrastructure, insecurity has been a major challenge, but we remain committed. We have procured 40 brand-new Howo tipper trucks, and once the Pulka quarry plant is completed, we will embark on extensive road rehabilitation across the state.”
Governor Zulum thanked the people of Borno for their continued support and cooperation to his administration.
Earlier, the Shehu of Borno, Dr. Abubakar ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi said the sallah homage has been part of the tradition during every festive season, acknowledging the unprecedented transformation the Zulum’s administration is executing across the state.
He emphasised the importance of expediting the Alau Dam project, noting that the first phase should have been completed by now. He referenced the recent flooding in Mokwa, Niger State, as a warning of what could recur in Borno if swift action is not taken.
“We witnessed the catastrophic flooding in Maiduguri on 10th September 2024, and we do not want a repeat, the Shehu said. The Federal Government must act immediately.”.
The royal father also urged the Governor to follow up with the Federal Government on oil exploration in Tuba, road rehabilitation, and electricity connectivity for local government areas.
During the event, Governor Zulum also received delegations from the University of Maiduguri, Kashim Ibrahim University, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Kashim Ibrahim University Teaching Hospital, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, and Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare, who paid similar homage.
Alau Dam: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work.
Flooding: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work on Alau Dam
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has called on the Federal Government to accelerate the rehabilitation and expansion of the Alau Dam to avert a repeat of last year’s devastating flood which nearly submerged Maiduguri and environs.
Maiduguri and surrounding local government areas experienced their worst flooding in decades following the collapse of the Alau Dam in 2024. In response, the Federal Government approved N80 billion for the dam’s reconstruction and expansion, with a groundbreaking ceremony held in March 2025 to mark the commencement of the project.
Zulum, while responding to a request by the Shehu of Borno, Dr. Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, on the need to fast tract the project, during the traditional Sallah homage at the Government House in Maiduguri, the governor expressed concern over the slow pace of work, warning that the rainy season has already begun.
He said: “After the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and expansion of the dam, which we all attended, the truth is that the work is not progressing as expected.
“The last time I visited the President, I informed him about the true state of the project, and I assure you that I will not relent. I will continue to follow up, and I have also notified the Vice President as well. In the meantime, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has constituted a committee to provide immediate intervention at the dam.”.
Meanwhile, the governor has pledged to connect all local government headquarters in the state to the national grid before the end of his tenure. He also promised massive road rehabilitation once the Pulka quarry plant is completed.
He said: “These are two critical issues dear to me, I assure Your Royal Highness that all local government headquarters will be connected to electricity before my tenure expires, Insha Allah. Regarding road infrastructure, insecurity has been a major challenge, but we remain committed. We have procured 40 brand-new Howo tipper trucks, and once the Pulka quarry plant is completed, we will embark on extensive road rehabilitation across the state.”
Zulum thanked the people of Borno for their continued support and cooperation to his administration.
Earlier, the Shehu of Borno said the sallah homage has been part of the tradition during every festive season, acknowledging the unprecedented transformation the Zulum’s administration has extended to all parts of the state.
He reiterated the importance of expediting the Alau Dam project, noting that the first phase should have been completed by now.
He referenced the recent flooding in Mokwa, Niger State, as a warning of what could recur in Borno if swift action is not taken.
The paramount ruler said: “We witnessed the catastrophic flooding in Maiduguri on 10th September 2024, and we do not want a repeat.. The Federal Government must act immediately.”.
The royal father also urged the Governor to follow up with the Federal Government on oil exploration in Tuba, road rehabilitation, and electricity connectivity for local government areas.
During the event, Governor Zulum also received delegations from the University of Maiduguri, Kashim Ibrahim University, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Kashim Ibrahim University Teaching Hospital, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, and Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare, who paid similar homage.
Flooding: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work on Alau Dam
Zulum donates N100m to wounded soldiers; families of fallen heroes
Fadile Pays Tribute to Late CJN Mohammed Uwais, Describes Him as “My Father in the Judiciary.”
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