In a strong display of military resolve, Nigeria's armed forces have announced the deaths of 35 jihadists through a series of targeted air strikes near the country’s northeastern border with Cameroon. According to the military, these strikes were strategically executed in four locations to preemptively thwart impending assaults by jihadist groups on ground troops.
Nigeria has faced an uphill battle for over a decade against various jihadist organizations, alongside a slew of violent criminal gangs, sectarian disputes, and rampant kidnappings that have left communities in distress. Recent statements from a coalition of notable Nigerians—which includes former government officials, business leaders, and civil rights advocates—have raised alarms over what they describe as "war-time levels of slaughter" affecting certain areas of the country, despite the official narrative of peace.
Citing a May report from Amnesty International, the group highlighted that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, at least 10,217 lives have been lost. They have called for the establishment of a Presidential Task Force endowed with comprehensive powers to address the escalating violence, particularly with the resurgence of extremist groups like Boko Haram and the splinter faction known as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Adding to the troubling narrative, the Nigerian military reported having neutralized nearly 600 militants in the past eight months; however, independent verification of these figures remains absent. The Nigerian Air Force affirmed its commitment to providing aerial support to ground troops actively dismantling jihadist strongholds in the northeastern region.
The United Nations estimates that the ongoing conflict has claimed over 35,000 lives and displaced approximately two million individuals. A recent assessment by the Institute for Security Studies confirmed at least 15 jihadist attacks this year in areas adjacent to Nigeria’s borders with Cameroon and Niger. Notably, jihadist factions have been employing modified commercial drones to target military bases, complicating efforts for troop reinforcement.
Amid these developments, the U.S. State Department has approved a substantial arms sale worth $346 million to Nigeria, signaling international support for the nation’s fight against jihadist violence. As the world watches, efforts to reclaim peace and security in Nigeria intensify, but the struggle remains formidable.
