By Queen Madaki | The Bureau News
JAS Boko Haram Faction Deepens Foothold in Niger State, Blending with Bandits and Targeting Civilians
A Boko Haram faction operating around Shiroro in Niger State is gaining notoriety for barbaric attacks on communities and infrastructure, extensive cattle rustling, and a growing ability to operate alongside armed bandit networks. Security researchers say the faction—Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS)—has entrenched itself in forested settlements while exploiting porous corridors that link Central Nigeria to the Sahel, The Bureau News reports.
‘Barbaric’ tactics — Nigeria News Today
JAS has long terrorised villages around Shiroro, 128km northwest of Abuja. In June 2024, the group killed at least 20 young men, beheading 10 and coercing residents to hold the severed heads for photos and video. In July 2022, an ambush near a mining site left at least 30 soldiers dead, alongside seven police officers and eight civilians, with several Chinese workers abducted.
Displacement and fear
Violence has repeatedly uprooted communities. About 5,000 residents fled Shiroro over a three-day stretch in 2021. Across Shiroro, Munya and Rafi LGAs, more than 42,000 people—mostly women and children—have been displaced amid raids, IED incidents, and highway attacks.
Leader, logistics, and alliance with bandits
JAS in Shiroro is led by Abubakar Saidu (“Sadiku”), a protégé of the late Abubakar Shekau deployed to Niger State around 2014. Under Sadiku, the faction embedded in the Alawa Forest Reserve, coordinated with some Fulani communities, and reportedly hoisted its flag in Kawuri by 2021. Unlike ISWAP’s tighter command, analysts describe JAS here as ideologically fluid, run by warlords based in forest hamlets such as Dogon Fili, Kugu, and Maganda. This flexibility enables cooperation with bandits—tolerating their alcohol, drugs, and prostitution—in exchange for weapons, fighters, and terrain knowledge.
Arms pipelines and expansion risks
Weapons reportedly flow from Bakura Doro on Lake Chad’s Barwa Island, complemented by captured arms and Sahelian smuggling routes. Security observers warn that porous forest corridors connecting Niger State to the northwest and into Benin may facilitate wider expansion, citing arrests of Boko Haram-linked couriers heading toward the Borgu axis.
Women, children, and coercion
In Shiroro, JAS abducts women and girls for rape and forced marriage, while boys are recruited and indoctrinated for violence. Locals deemed “unbelievers” face extortion, sustaining the group’s finances alongside cattle rustling and ransom flows.
Beyond Niger State
The faction’s reach is not confined to Central Nigeria. On 5 September, at least 60 people were killed in a late-night assault on Darul Jamal in Borno State—many of them recently returned residents. Survivors described escalating fear despite official appeals to remain.
Security outlook
JAS has adapted to Nigeria’s mostly aerial campaign by dispersing into forests as ground forces recalibrate after heavy casualties. Officials face the dual challenge of counter-insurgency and anti-banditry operations across connected theaters—while safeguarding displaced populations, reopening roads, and restoring basic services.
More Security coverage on The Bureau News
Image: Security volunteers and residents near Shiroro after a raid — The Bureau News
Mini Foodstuff Price List for Nigeria News Today
| Item | Price (₦) | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Rice (50kg Bag) | ₦64,500 | Mile 12, Lagos |
| Beans (1 paint) | ₦3,600 | Wuse Market, Abuja |
| Garri (1 paint) | ₦1,900 | Mile 12, Lagos |
| Yam (1 tuber) | ₦1,200 | Wuse Market, Abuja |
| Tomatoes (basket) | ₦18,000 | Mile 12, Lagos |
| Palm Oil (1 bottle) | ₦1,700 | Wuse Market, Abuja |
Compiled by The Bureau News Business Desk for “foodstuff price list Mile 12 Lagos today” and “foodstuff price list Wuse Market Abuja today.”