An al-Qaeda–linked armed group active in the Sahel has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed a soldier in central Nigeria this week, its first known attack in the country.
In a video posted on its Telegram channel late on Thursday, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) said it launched the attack in Nigeria’s Kwara State in the early hours of Wednesday, killing a soldier and seizing ammunition and cash.
A Nigerian military source confirmed to the Reuters news agency that JNIM had attacked soldiers on patrol, killing one soldier. But the army did not respond to an official request for comment.
JNIM is one of several armed groups operating in West Africa and the Sahel. It previously said it aims to establish an Islamic caliphate while expelling Western-influenced governments.
Formed in 2017, the group’s operations initially started in Mali before they spread to Burkina Faso and parts of Niger. JNIM has also launched attacks in the northernmost regions of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo.
Recently in Mali, JNIM declared a blockade on fuel imported from neighbouring countries. This has crippled parts of the country and forced schools and universities to shut.
In Burkina Faso in May, the group launched a major attack in the town of Djibo, killing about 200 soldiers, and last year it attacked the town of Barsalogho, killing 200 civilians.
The group’s apparent advance into Nigeria comes as Abuja’s government already battles a separate rebellion led by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The years of fighting have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than two million more in the north of the country.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu appointed new service chiefs in a sweeping overhaul of the country’s military leadership, saying this was meant to strengthen national security.
On Thursday, without mentioning names, Tinubu told the new military leaders that he was concerned with the recent emergence of new armed groups in the north central, northwest and parts of southern Nigeria.
“We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right at the head,” Tinubu said.
