Crime
ISSP Establishes Cross-Border Corridor Linking Mali to Lake Chad Axis, Claims Lakurawa Group As its Operational Wing
ISSP Establishes Cross-Border Corridor Linking Mali to Lake Chad Axis, Claims Lakurawa Group As its Operational Wing
By: Zagazola Makama
The Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP) has officially recognized the Lakurawa Group as its clandestine operational wing, formalizing a strategic corridor between its two major factions EIGS (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara) operating in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) active around Lake Chad.
The announcement, made in the wake of two deadly attacks on May 4 in Niger, marks a significant shift in the regional security landscape. On that day, armed militants attacked Dogonkiria in Dosso region, killing at least 30 security force personnel, and Danga in Tillabéri region, where six volunteer fighters for the defense of the homeland (VDPs) were slain.
Zagazola Makama believes the operational link now established between the Sarma Forest in Nigeria and Anderamboukane in Mali via central Niger will enable increased mobility for fighters, arms trafficking, intelligence sharing, and hostage transfers. This corridor, long suspected by observers, has now been confirmed as a key axis for extremist logistics.
Sources say the emergence of ISSP reflects a new phase in Islamic State operations in the region, marked by greater coordination, territorial fluidity, and strategic exploitation of Niger’s governance and airspace gaps particularly since the withdrawal or downsizing of key international security partners.
Zagazola reports that the central strip of Niger already marked by repeated attacks, pipeline sabotage, and mass civilian casualties is increasingly falling under the shadow of ISSP. Many of these incidents had previously gone unclaimed but are now attributed to the group’s covert campaign to secure this critical transit route.
Zagazola warn that if the current trend continues unchecked, the entire security architecture of West Africa may be destabilized, with spillover effects extending beyond the Sahel to Nigeria.
He called for renewed multilateral cooperation and intelligence-sharing, transcending political divisions and post-coup dynamics.
In recent months, Zagazola had raised alarm over the quiet expansion of Lakurawa, cautioning that the group was a proxy for EIGS. The confirmation by ISSP now validates those concerns, signaling an urgent need for proactive counterterrorism measures and regional solidarity.
ISSP Establishes Cross-Border Corridor Linking Mali to Lake Chad Axis, Claims Lakurawa Group As its Operational Wing
Bandits attack Bayan Dutsi village in Zamfara, injure three, abduct several
By: Zagazola Makama
Suspected bandits attacked Bayan Dutsi village in Tofa district of Bungudu Local Government Area, leaving three persons injured and many others feared abducted.
Zagazola gathered that the incident occurred at about 10:15 p.m. on Sept. 22. When the hoodlums invaded the community with sporadic gunfire, injuring three residents and abducting several others.
“On receipt of the distress report, joint troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and Civilian Protection Guards (CPG) mobilised to the area. The injured victims were taken to the hospital for treatment,” said sources.
The sources added that security forces had intensified efforts to rescue the abducted victims and restore normalcy in the affected area.
Bandits attack Bayan Dutsi village in Zamfara, injure three, abduct several
Phone Snatchers Attack Businessman in Katsina
By: Our Reporter
Suspected phone snatchers have attacked a businessman, Mr. Marwan Usman, while he was working at his shop along IBB Way, near Kofar Kaura and the MTN office in Katsina metropolis.
Narrating his ordeal on Monday, Usman said that the incident occurred late on Sunday night as he was refilling fuel in a generator to continue his night business.
According to him, the attackers demanded that he hand over his mobile phone. “I refused to give them the phone, and they began attacking me with sharp objects until I sustained injuries,” he said.
He added that although they inflicted wounds on him, the assailants were unable to snatch the phone before fleeing the scene.
Residents have expressed growing concern over the rising cases of phone snatching and street robberies within Katsina town, calling on security agencies to intensify patrols to protect lives and property.
Phone Snatchers Attack Businessman in Katsina
One killed, two injured in farm dispute in yobe
By: Zagazola Makama
A man has been killed while two others sustained serious injuries during a violent clash over alleged theft of groundnuts in Kusur village, Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Zagazola gathered that the incident occurred when a 65-year-old farmer, Mataye Umara, and his sons, Modu, 30, and Mamman, 15, laid ambush to protect their groundnut farm from thieves.
It was learnt that four boys, including a 13-year-old, went into the farm to steal groundnuts. When Umara raised alarm, two elder brothers of the suspected thief, identified as Sani, 20, and Mani, 25, allegedly attacked the farmers with machetes.
During the attack, Modu Mataye was killed on the spot, while his father and younger brother sustained deep cuts on their foreheads and arms. One of the suspects, Sani Audu, was also injured.
Police said the victims were rushed to hospital, where Modu was confirmed dead by a medical doctor. His body was later released to the family for burial after autopsy. The injured were referred to the Teaching Hospital, Damaturu.
Authorities confirmed that investigation is ongoing and the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department
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