Islamic State (IS) has officially claimed its first attacks in north-west Nigeria under its Sahel Province, announcing operations in Sokoto and Kebbi states. The move marks what the group describes as a “new battlefield expansion” and reflects a broader effort to strengthen its presence along the Nigeria-Niger border by integrating local jihadist networks.
IS announced the attacks in its al-Naba publication on 28 May, claiming responsibility for military assaults carried out on 24 March and 16 May that had previously been attributed to militants known locally as “Lakurawa.” The group said additional operations had not been claimed earlier for “security reasons” and framed the announcement as a response to a joint US-Nigerian military operation targeting IS in north-east Nigeria.
The expansion follows more than a year of IS attacks in neighbouring Niger’s Dosso and Tahoua regions, suggesting the emergence of a cross-border operational zone covering Sokoto, Kebbi, Dosso and Tahoua. Analysts and UN experts have argued that the expansion has been enabled by recruiting or co-opting Lakurawa fighters, while conflict monitor ACLED attributes more than 100 violent incidents in Sokoto and Kebbi between 2025 and 2026 to IS’s Sahel branch.
Local sources say Lakurawa militants have operated for years in border communities after initially being recruited as self-defence forces against armed bandits. Over time, they reportedly imposed taxes, promoted a strict interpretation of Islam and recruited local residents. Continued insecurity, cross-border instability following Niger’s 2023 coup and persistent bandit violence are believed to have created favourable conditions for IS to deepen its presence.
The development also comes amid growing competition between IS and al-Qaeda-linked Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has expanded across the Sahel and recently claimed its first attack in Nigeria. Rivalry between the two groups may be accelerating jihadist activity in north-west Nigeria.
If current trends continue, Sokoto and Kebbi could become a more significant theatre of jihadist operations, with intensified cross-border activity and greater competition between militant groups likely to further complicate security efforts in the region.
