Nigeria: Army increases operations against Boko Haram in Borno state /update 3

Event

According to a statement issued by the Nigerian authorities on Sunday, July 30, the military is stepping up operations against jihadist group Boko Haram in Borno state. Local media sources have indicated that the military has deployed special forces and thermal imaging technology to reinforce troops already in the state.

The announcement came shortly after Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a large-scale ambush on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) workers and geologists on Tuesday, July 25, in which 69 people are believed to have been killed and three abducted. Boko Haram released an unverified video of the three abductees on Thursday, July 28, in which the NNPC workers ask the government to meet the group's demands and secure their release.

Security operations and further ambushes are likely in Borno state in the coming weeks.

Context

On July 25, members of the Department of Geology and Surveying from the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) were abducted by unidentified gunmen near the village of Jibi, Borno state. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) had contracted the team to carry out research work on oil exploration activities in the Lake Chad basin.

Kidnapping is a longstanding concern in Nigeria. Foreigners and locals face a high threat of abduction throughout the country, particularly from Boko Haram or from Niger Delta rebel groups. Expatriates face an especially high risk of kidnapping due to their perceived wealth compared to the local population. The current spate of attacks and kidnappings are reportedly in response to a previous Boko Haram threat to increase their targeting of military and government sites.

The northeastern region of Nigeria is highly susceptible to attacks by Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in March 2015 and formally adopted the name of Islamic State in West Africa. Public venues (markets, places of worship, schools, bars, areas where broadcasts of sports competitions are displayed, etc.) as well as security forces and governmental buildings are frequently struck by attacks, suicide bombings (targeted or untargeted), and kidnappings (regularly followed by assassination and targeting primarily foreign nationals).

Advice

The security environment in Nigeria is complex and particularly poor in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.