By Mike Odeh James and Olatunde Marolan
(Lagos) A growing sense of unease is gripping Southwest Nigeria as reports emerge of terrorists such as Lakurawa, Ansaru and Fulani Ethnic Militia fleeing military operations in the Northwest and seeking refuge in the region’s forests.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State sounded the alarm last week warning that terrorists were relocating to the state due to military heat in other regional zones. “We will find and deal with them,” he vowed.
The core Southwest region of Nigeria comprises six states: Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo. These states form part of Yorubaland, with adjacent areas in Kwara and Kogi completing the region. With a population of more than 50 million, the Southwest is a significant geopolitical zone and home to the country’s current President, Bola Tinubu.
However, the region recently has become a target for infiltration by terror groups. Reports indicate that groups such as Lakurawa, Ansaru, and Fulani Ethnic Militia are attempting to establish a presence in the region. In response, security agencies have been working to disrupt these plans.
On January 11, 2025, Nigeria’s secret police foiled a plot by members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) to infiltrate the Southwest. The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested ISWAP members engaged in bomb-making, as well as 10 suspected members of the group in Ilesa, Osun State.
Over 100 foreigners were arrested in Osun State, Nigeria, on suspicion of links to the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) bomb-factory scare.
The arrests were made on January 11, 2025, following the detection of ISWAP suspects undergoing bomb-making training in Ilesa.
According to reports in Nigeria dailies, the foreigners were apprehended by operatives of the Nigerian Immigration Service while entering the state. They lacked valid travel documents and failed to provide a clear explanation for their presence in the state.
Prior to these arrests, the DSS had arrested two individuals, Ms. Ayomide Akintunde and Mr. Nurudeen Adesiyan, on December 19, 2024, in Osun State. Investigations revealed that the duo were in communication with a Moroccan terrorist in Spanish custody, who is being investigated for jihadist propaganda and plans to acquire firearms for attacks in Nigeria.
History of Infiltration and Terrorism
Previous records of infiltration and terrorism in Nigeria’s Southwest region have been documented. According to David Onyilokwu Idah, a director with the International Human Rights Commission, “Al-Qaeda affiliates like Ansaru and Fulani terrorists have made several attempts to infiltrate the region, albeit with minimal successes.”
One notable incident occurred on June 5, 2022, when St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, was attacked by jihadists, resulting in the loss of over 50 lives. However, the Nigerian military responded swiftly, arresting the perpetrators, including a high-ranking ISWAP member, on August 11, 2022.
As Idah noted, “The arrest of these terrorists put an end to their activities temporarily.” He further emphasized that “they were planning more deadly attacks before their capture.”
Idah noted that Ondo, and Osun States in the Southwest and Edo State in the Niger Delta are the primary targets of these groups.
How Terrorists Infiltrate Southwest
According to Idah, terrorists have developed various strategies to infiltrate the Southwest region of Nigeria. One method involves transporting large groups of migrants (who are in fact, Malians, Nigerien and Mauritanians masquerading as Nigerians) into the region via big trucks, locally referred to as “trailers” or “Tippers,” covered with tarpaulin. “These trucks can carry over 100 individuals, along with their belongings, which include motorcycles,” Idah explained.
Idah noted that these trucks often go unchecked by military personnel, allowing the migrants to move freely into the region. “It has been observed that multiple trucks, sometimes up to four or five per day, make their way from Northern Nigeria into the Southwest,” he said.
“They also come as traders bringing Cows, Tomatoes and other food items,” he added.
In addition to using trucks, Idah revealed that terrorists also exploit the Kamuku Forest, which spans Kaduna, Zamfara, and Niger states. “From Niger, they move into Kwara and Kogi, and from there, the terrorists can move into Edo State or Ondo State,” he explained.
However, Idah noted that Fulani Ethnic Militia and other Jihadist groups are also coming in through the Benin Republic .
“Nigeria’s western neighbor, Benin Republic is another route through which terrorists are trying to get into Nigeria, it is now the duty of the Federal Government to quickly check the influx of these terrorists., he said
Amotekun To The Rescue
In order to curtail the rising spare of terrorism and Fulani menace, Governors from the six western states set up a regional self-defense civilian group in 2020 called Amotekun.
A traditional ruler in Ondo State , who did not want his name to be mentioned, explained that Amotekun has aided the Nigerian Police Force rid Forests in the Southwest of terrorists and kidnappers .
“Men of Amotekun who are indigenous to their counties , normally patrol the forests located in their wards (precincts) and if they discover any criminality terrorists activities, they move in with the police and dislodge the criminals.
He also explained that Amotekun operatives virtually patrol all the highways from the North-Northern Nigeria, stop and search all trucks, if they discover foreigners, ( Malians, Nigerien, Tchadian) they are immediately arrested and handed over to Nigerian Immigration Service
By so doing, Amotekun has actually prevented Fulani Ethnic Militia and terrorists such as Ansaru, ISWAP and the Lakurawas from moving southwards.
Idah also attributed the success of Amotekun to the uniqueness of the Southwest region.
“The Southwest is proving to be difficult for terrorists and Fulani Ethnic Militia to infiltrate, because of the high level of education and awareness. The Southwest Nigerian is educated and not easily swayed by religious fanaticism.
“That apart, the Southwest is homogeneous in terms of ethnicity. They speak either Yoruba or English and so, if any foreigner comes in, he or she is viewed with suspicion. In such clime, terrorists cannot thrive, he concluded
For now, Amotekun and other regional self-defense group have vowed to protect their region from any form of terrorism.
Mike Odeh James and Olatunde Marolan are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
