In the days following the controversial US military airstrikes in Sokoto State, a significant strategic shift is reportedly underway. Local intelligence and community leaders indicate that the targeted terrorists are not merely licking their wounds but are actively on the move, abandoning their strongholds and dispersing toward other regions.
Multiple community leaders from Sokoto's Tangaza, Gudu, and Illela Local Government Areas have anonymously reported witnessing a marked "dislocation and movement" among armed groups. According to their accounts, some gunmen have been seen moving in small, discreet groups into deeper, more remote forest corridors, while others are suspected of attempting to flee across the border to evade further surveillance.
A Signal of Force and a Shift in Strategy
For residents in the directly impacted areas, the military action has brought a complex mix of relief and anxiety. A Tangaza community leader noted that the strike "sent a strong signal," forcing criminal elements to abandon their familiar routes and camps. "People are cautious, but there is relief that their hideouts were hit," he explained, acknowledging the operation's immediate psychological impact.
However, this disruption is creating new security challenges elsewhere. A major alarm has been raised in Benue State, where the Chairman of the Traditional Council in Gwer West Local Government, Daniel Abomtse, reported an "influx of armed herders" into his domain and neighboring Agatu. He linked this movement directly to the Sokoto strikes, stating that the armed groups are "running away from Sokoto to the coastal areas" and are openly carrying sophisticated weapons.
Calls for Expanded Action Amidst Uncertainty
While appreciating the foreign intervention, leaders in newly vulnerable areas are calling for the strategy to be broadened. Abomtse has publicly urged US President Donald Trump to extend military operations to Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Niger, and Plateau States to prevent his region from becoming a new sanctuary. "What President Trump has done is the best thing to have happened to the government of Nigeria," he stated, underscoring the desperation felt in many communities.
Sokoto State government officials have confirmed that intelligence assessments are ongoing to map the scale and direction of the bandits' movements. The situation highlights a critical phase in the counter-terrorism effort: while a kinetic strike can disrupt a network, it risks pushing well-armed and adaptable militants into new territories, potentially igniting conflicts in regions previously on the periphery of the crisis. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether this operation leads to a lasting degradation of terrorist capabilities or merely a dangerous relocation of the threat.
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