Four terrorist arm suppliers from Libya on their way to Nigeria have
been killed by officials of Niger Republic army.
The Libyan arm suppliers were intercepted before reaching
the border that leads to Nigeria in the Niger Republic on Sunday.
It is believed that the arms dealers were arm suppliers to
the bandits that have been terrorizing Nigeria’s northwestern region.
Apart from the bandits, Nigeria is also battling Boko Haram
insurgency in its northeast region
According to the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), Boko
Haram, which has its roots in Nigeria, poses a potential danger to Nigeria’s
neighbours should its influence spread beyond the country’s borders.
The risks presented by the militant group are amplified
primarily through the prevalence of porous borders in the West African
sub-region. Countries like Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger are all potential
targets due to their proximity to Nigeria, their demographics and their
socio-economic realities. At greatest risk are Cameroon and Niger, which share
considerably vast borders with Nigeria.
Nigeria’s borders with Benin and Chad, ISS said are fairly
short – 773km and 87km long respectively. In comparison, Nigeria’s borders with
Niger and Cameroon span 1 497km and 1 690km respectively.
The vulnerable nature of these borders heightens the
potential spread of terrorist activities into the neighbouring countries.
“Their vulnerability to the spread of Boko Haram is
compounded by the fact that Niger and Cameroon have borders with the northern
Nigerian states, where Boko Haram already exerts a strong influence,” ISS said
in an article.
The border with Niger, for example, stretches along Sokoto,
Katsina, Jigawa and Yobe states. This proximity to northern Nigeria is,
therefore, a particular threat to Niger’s already fragile security, given the
relative ease with which terrorist elements can cross into the country.
Cameroon faces a smaller risk than Niger as only two of the
four Nigerian states – Taraba and Adamawa states – bordering Cameroon is part
of northern Nigeria, while Cross Rivers and Benue states are in the
south-eastern and middle eastern regions of Nigeria.
Over the years, there has been a huge effect of the presence
of Boko Haram within these countries which continues to pose a security risk to
the safety of the people’s lives and their properties.
(Today.ng)
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