Description: The Nigerian army has stated that a proclaimed Boko Haram commander going by the nom de guerre, Abu Khalid, alongside 10 other fighters have been eliminated in the Sambisa Forest located in Borno state. Last week’s attacks on construction workers, which left 25 people dead, have forced the army to launch extensive operations in the northeastern parts of the country, counteracting Islamist insurgents such as Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province). The country is grappling with a multi – vectored security crisis, facing insurgents and terrorists in its northeastern parts while combating bandits and violence between herders and farmers in the central parts of the country.
Impact: The multi – vectored security crisis in Nigeria will continue, illustrating the country’s debilitated security forces, their lack of capacities to tackle multiple security risks at the same time due to the level of disorder and corruption in the country. The inability of the Nigerian government to combat such threats could potentially prompt the US to launch another aerial campaign targeting terrorist strongholds in the country which would additionally complicate the political standing of the government but would support forces on the ground. Islamist insurgents and terrorist groups remain at the forefront of the security threat landscape in the country, followed by the sporadic conflicts between the herders and the farmers in the central region. Instability would persist over the long – term unless Nigeria manages to facilitate some form of regional or international support in order to combat the multiple national security threats.