The United States says the Al-Qaeda insurgent group has started penetrating the north-western part of Nigeria.

In recent times, there has been an increase in attacks in Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara and other north-west states.

During a media briefing, Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US special operations command, Africa, said Al-Qaeda is also expanding to other parts of West Africa.

In his remarks which TheCable obtained from the US Department of State, Anderson said the US will continue to partner with Nigeria in sharing intelligence.

“We have engaged with Nigeria and continue to engage with them in intel sharing and in understanding what these violent extremists are doing,” he said.

“And that has been absolutely critical to their engagements up in the Borno state and into an emerging area of northwest Nigeria that we’re seeing al-Qaida starting to make some inroads in.

“So, this intelligence sharing is absolutely vital and we stay fully engaged with the government of Nigeria to provide them an understanding of what these terrorists are doing, what Boko Haram is doing, what ISIS-West Africa is doing, and how ISIS and al-Qaida are looking to expand further south into the littoral areas.”

Anderson regretted that despite successes recorded in previous years, there have been setback, adding: “We as a community of international nations, keep thinking we have defeated them or we have put them on their back foot and that they’re just moments from disintegration.”

“I think there’s two factors in that. One, it goes to that each government has to focus on this and provide that focus for international partners to engage with,” the US general said.

“The other part of this is we can’t underestimate the threat these violent extremist organisations pose. We, as a community of international nations, keep thinking we have defeated them or we have put them on their back foot and that they’re just moments from disintegration.

“I think after 20 years we have seen they are very resilient organisations that, although small, they’re able to leverage social media and other forms of media to have an outsized voice and that they continue to recruit and they continue to find opportunities.”

Anderson said for international efforts to yield desired results in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria, the government must take the lead.

“When it comes to Nigeria in general, Nigeria, obviously, is a critical nation to West Africa. It is a critical nation and we realize that Nigeria is a lynchpin,” he said.

”For that to have an effect against the VEOs and to have an effect against these stressors, it really takes the Government of Nigeria to lead that effort and to build that energy to coalesce around.

“So no nation can come in and fix that problem for Nigeria. We can assist with that – and it’s the United States can assist, the United Kingdom, other countries can come in, many countries can come and assist with that partnership – but ultimately it takes leadership from Nigeria in order for us to focus our efforts.”

SOURCE:
https://www.thecable.ng/al-qaeda-penetrating-north-west-us-alerts-nigeria

Which way Nigeria...

Please they should not near south south, I don't want to get nuked. Just like their brothers, let dem stay up north

Hmm
Northern Nigeria is gone.
Pls let us divide this nation now oooo.

The worst is that the same people they kill pity them believing they're working for Allah.

there was a country

Agitation for biafra won't split Nigeria but this looks capable of splitting the country. I will be glad if it does.

Luckydubby7:
Hmm
Northern Nigeria is gone.
Pls let us divide this nation now oooo.

the man open the border for any jihad to come in. Y can't national assembly invite this man to answer some questions or is he bigger than Nigerian. If drump can invite so who is buhari. Shame on Nigerian. Too much mumu, I don't see anywhere in the world this man will still be the president

First and foremost the North elites, politicians, security agencies sowed and use Boko Haram as a tool to press in their regional and political desire.

Boko Haram, Bandits, Cattle rustlers, Fulani herdsmen are indistinguishable.

Now the group has decentralized into groups, subgroups and fractions.

They have become so strong in attracting foreign terrorist fighters and group.

We must be sincere first before winning this fight.
As the army chief said only Nigerians can stop terrorism.

Wahala dey oo

WorkSmartEdu:
[s]Aburi Accord and 1967 to 1970 comes to mind. Yoruba how far? Northwest then North Central then West then East. We siddon dey look una! Igbo ga adiriri[/s].

You don’t wish other evils, it’s wrong. No matter what happened in the past. The destruction of the north — with current violence — isn’t in the interest of the south.

IF true, they must have partnered with some greedy & callous elites.

I won't be surprised IF they're the same set of people that sabotaged the Nigerian military.

nawa o

Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb,for the the cleaning of your school and also fumigation before full resumption,contact prolific giant cleaning services

North east ---- Bokoharam,bandits,almajiri. North West --- iswap,al-queda,isis, almajiri.

Believe me,when I said the north future is in dust for the next 10 years.

Don't train what you can't tamed.

No news here.
They have been in the country for ages.
Northern leaders need them to get a lot of money.

Remember, cia is the boss of alqaeda and isis.

See what this one-sided government is causing this country. Anyway, d west will be happy if we disintegrate. Simple!

Every terrorist organization is relocating to Nigeria to collect their own share of the national moimoi,after all if they are caught, they would just repent and freedom would smile at them again.

Hmmmm we all know the wish of Buhari but let's keep pretending

Sadly, the intelligence sharing won’t offer much help. We don’t got no government.

Dey are joining their terrorist brother in Northern Nigeria.

That is where it ends.

Cc lalasticlala

Abo.kis have played politics with Armed forces, NSA, NIA. etcetera sotey we don't know if we have any intelligence unit or gathering anymore in the country.. quota system everywhere coupled with religious fanatism and now extremism.

God help Nigeria

I guess dis government is a waste of time if it was obj in aso villa, we cud not have been in dis mess but God knows d best....we need an urgent change of government and arrest of buhari...cos tinz are not normal in dis shit hole...

dis bbn dat ppl are watching is now a national disgrace cos no nation in d world is doing it except shows dat helps businesses like gulder ultimate search, dragon's den


Our president is incapacitated...

Wjvv

Damnnnnn niggarrr
Isoright

I just hope Western Nigeria will break out of Nigeria before they penetrate to the West.