How IS-Affiliated IS Sahel Expands Presence in Sokoto and Kebbi, Enforcing Strict Control and Smuggling Operations
By: Zagazola Makama
The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), also known as IS Sahel, has reportedly intensified its influence across several local government areas in Sokoto State, Nigeria, with growing evidence of its expanding operations in neighboring Kebbi State as well.
Known locally as *Lakurawa*, or "recruits" in Hausa, this group has begun enforcing strict mandates on residents, while reportedly smuggling essential supplies to terrorist networks throughout the Sahel region.
In Sokoto State, IS Sahel has entrenched itself in the Gudu, Tangaza, Silame, Binji, and Illela LGAs.
Zagazola reports that the terrorists has banned vigilante activities within these communities, effectively disabling local security responses, and instituted Sharia-based mandates.
The group demands *zakkat* on livestock, requiring residents to give up one cow for every thirty they own, collected directly by group members. Additionally, strict dress codes have been imposed, with women instructed to wear hijabs and men required to maintain long beards and shortened trousers.
These developments underscore an alarming expansion of extremist control, previously seen with Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) in the region, and further indicate the spread of ISIS and Al-Qaeda-linked factions from the broader Sahel area into Nigeria.
Zagazola Makama has previously reported how the IS Sahel operates a significant smuggling network from Kebbi State’s Dole-Kaina, a border town connecting Nigeria and Niger.
Large quantities of fuel, ammunition, and other supplies are reportedly transported across Nigeria’s borders, with items reaching terror groups across the Sahel and West African regions.
These supplies pass through Niger and, in some instances, Benin Republic to reach Kompienga, a province in eastern Burkina Faso, which is a known hotbed for terrorist activity.
The Nigerian is increasingly challenged by the routes used for arms trafficking in the North West, which allow bandits and terror groups to sustain their operations.
Nigerian Military Identifies New Terror Group Operating in Kebbi, Sokoto
The Nigerian military says it has identified the new terror group operating in Kebbi and Sokoto States, according to a statement by Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations.
General Buba said that the terror group is reportedly affiliated with jihadi factions in Mali and Niger, raising security concerns in the northwestern region of the country.
He linked the emergence of the group to political instability in Mali and Niger, which has fueled the spread of extremist elements into Nigeria.
This group is a direct fallout of the political instability in these neighboring countries," he explained, adding that the military is monitoring the group’s activities and developing strategies to counter any threat to national security.
