By Segun Onibiyo
(Kogi) Nigerian Police have foiled multiple attacks by the mysterious jihadist insurgency called “Ansaru” in Kogi and Katsina states of North-Central Nigeria, TruthNigeria has learned.
Although the Ansaru jihadists reportedly are not more than 1,000 in strength, they have been a deadly force in northcentral Nigeria for 5 years. Like the better known Boko Haram insurgencies in Northwest Nigeria, and the Al-Qaeda linked “Lakurawa” group in Sokoto, their goal is topple the elected government in Abuja by force.
“Ansaru translates to ‘Vanguards for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa,’ according to security expert David Idah and emerged around 2012. The jihadist group then fell out of view and then re-emerged in 2019 as a kidnap-for-ransom gang in Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.
“The Ansaru terrorist group seeks to create a caliphate similar to that of the Usman Danfodio Empire created in 1809,” according to Idah. Dan Fodio (1754-1817) was a Nigerian Islamic scholar, preacher, and reformer and the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, a powerful Islamic state that existed from 1809 to 1903 in what is today northwest Nigeria.
“The Ansaru terrorist group is active in Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, and far-western Kaduna in North-Central Nigeria and the Northern parts of Edo and Ondo states,” Idah went on to say to TruthNigeria.
“Ansaru appeals to non-Fulani, non-Kanuri, non-Hausa ethnic groups in Borno Northeast Nigeria, Sokoto and Zamfara states Northwest of Nigeria and in the Sahel region of West Africa,” Idah said. In this respect, Ansaru resembles Lakurawa, also linked to Al-Qaeda sponsors.
Ansaru Meeting Disrupted by Police Raid
Operatives from the Kogi State North-central Nigeria Police Command January 18, 2025 acted on intelligence from community guards to disrupt a strategic meeting of Ansaru militants in Budon county, a forested area bordering Kogi and Niger states in North-Central Nigeria. The terrorists reportedly were planning assaults on Kogi, Niger, and parts of Abuja, all in the North-central of Nigeria.
A confrontation ensued when the police engaged the militants in a gun battle. The operatives overpowered the terrorists, killing several, wounding many, and capturing four. Some attackers managed to escape with injuries.
Police Confirm Counterterrorism Success
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the operation and disclosed details of another security intervention in Dutsinma County, Katsina State.
On the same day, Katsina police, in collaboration with other security agencies and community guards, intercepted hundreds of suspected bandits moving toward Ruwan Doruwa Village, Northwest of Nigeria. Seven armed attackers were neutralized, while others fled, leaving behind 109 stolen livestock.
Security Experts Call for Sustained Action
A retired police commissioner commended the operations but emphasized the importance of continued collaboration with community guards for intelligence gathering. He noted that Ansaru has exploited Kogi’s dense forests in the North-Central of Nigeria, as a base for criminal activities, including kidnapping, cattle rustling, extortion, and sex trafficking.
Retired Colonel Franklin Fagbimja highlighted the influx of dislodged terrorists from the Northeast of Nigeria into Kogi and Niger states, North-Central Nigeria, and the Southeast of Nigeria
in a press release. He stressed the need for sustained military presence, inter-agency cooperation, and international partnerships to prevent future attacks.
Victim Testimony Highlights Security Challenges
Omar Onimisi Ade, a former kidnapping victim, shared his experience of being abducted by Ansaru militants on a highway. He told TruthNigeria that he survived on by eating leaves during months of captivity until ransom payments secured his release. Ade urged security forces to intensify operations in Kogi’s forests in the North -Central and mountainous terrains to dismantle terrorist strongholds.
The group is known for kidnapping of foreigners and students for ransom. The Nigerian government has blamed the Owo Massacre, in Western Nigeria in 2022 on Islamic State of West Africa, but some sources have told TruthNigeria that the assassins were Ansaru terrorists.
“Ansaru is considered a splinter group or offshoot of Boko Haram, a militant Islamist group based in northeastern Nigeria and some parts of the SouthSouth state of Edo in Nigeria. And are about 1,000 men strong,” according to Security Expert Idah.
The exact nature of Ansaru’s relationship with Boko Haram is complex and has evolved over time, according to the US director of national intelligence. Some analysts consider Ansaru a distinct group, while others see it as a subset of Boko Haram.
Police operations highlight the ongoing threat posed by Ansaru and similar terrorist groups exploiting security vulnerabilities in Nigeria. Experts interviewed by TruthNigeria agree that sustained, coordinated, and intelligence-driven efforts are vital to curbing insurgency and ensuring the safety of affected communities.
Segun Onibiyo is a conflict reporter for Truth Nigeria.
