Al-Qaeda Affiliate JNIM Claims First Attack in Nigeria, Says Soldier Killed in Kwara

Overview

• JNIM said in a Telegram video it struck troops in Kwara in the early hours of Wednesday, claiming one soldier was killed and that ammunition and cash were seized.
• A Nigerian military source confirmed the death from an attack on a patrol, but the army has not issued a formal statement in response.
• The attack was reported in Nuku near the Benin border, with Menastream citing captured items that included an AK rifle, six phones, ammunition, a motorcycle, military gear and cash.
• Local sources reported an additional kidnapping and looted motorcycles, while analysts noted JNIM’s az-Zallaqah outlet had not posted a separate confirmation.
• The reported incursion tracks with long-flagged routes through Kainji National Park and possible ties to Ansaru, as President Bola Tinubu presses newly appointed service chiefs over emerging armed groups.