Foreigners exploit ungoverned spaces and routes in northern Nigeria to enter the country and unleash mayhem on helpless residents, findings by Sunday PUNCH have shown.

Sources who spoke to our correspondents also disclosed that terrorists had established routes in the region for arms trafficking and other criminal activities.

A retired soldier, Akogun-Abudu Olumayowa, said the hoodlums often infiltrated the country through Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara.

According to him, they disguise themselves as farmers, herders, or traders, often arriving in large groups to enter the country.

“These regions are vast and largely unmonitored, with no immigration controls in place. They (terrorists) also enter through forests as herders. These routes can be found in Borno, Adamawa, Katsina, and Sokoto. It’s organised crime. Some enter through northern borders, manipulating locals through religion with the help of some politicians,” he stated.

Sunday PUNCH obtained a list of the specific routes.

Foreign terrorists

In January 2025, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, raised the alarm that terrorist groups operating in Nigeria were being funded by foreign interests, disclosing that some arrested criminals were found in possession of foreign currencies.

He revealed that the military, in collaboration with international partners, was working to trace and block the sources of foreign financing sustaining terrorist groups.

Musa also urged troops to intensify efforts against criminals by tracking and neutralising threats wherever they emerge.

Last Tuesday, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, while reacting to another onslaught that left many residents dead, noted that the attacks were being carried out by foreign elements.

He revealed that the attackers were not Nigerians, based on their language, appearance, and tactics.

“Let’s have the narrative very correct. We know Nigerians, by our ethnicities, we can identify a Fulani man, a Yoruba man, or a Hausa man; we know them. Even the regular traditional herders know them. They herd cattle with sticks. But these folks (the attackers) are coming in fully armed with AK-47s and 49s. They do not bear the Nigerian look. They don’t speak like we do. Even the Hausa they speak is one sort of Hausa,” Alia said in an interview with Channels Television.

Reports indicated that at least 113 people were killed in Plateau State by assailants who invaded Zike, Kimakpa, and areas within Bokkos and Bassa local government areas.

Similarly, attacks by suspected armed herders on communities in the Ukum and Logo LGs of Benue State on April 17 claimed 85 lives.

Sunday PUNCH had reported that no fewer than 250 people were killed in separate attacks in the first two weeks of April, while the unidentified attackers displaced many.

Our correspondents gathered that the terrorists entered the country through certain routes.

Borno routes

In Borno State, Sunday PUNCH learnt that Boko Haram and ISWAP members established multiple routes in Wulgo village around Gamboru in Ngala LG.

Wulgo, located near Lake Chad and the border with Cameroon, has remained a conflict zone since the rise of Boko Haram and ISWAP militants.

On March 24, terrorists attacked a military formation in the area, resulting in the deaths of 12 soldiers, according to the Cameroonian Ministry of Defence.

The Wulgo Army formation comprises joint troops from Nigeria and Cameroon.

A serving military officer in Borno State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said farmlands in Ngala communities were used as routes by the terrorists.

He said the hoodlums often planted landmines on the roads whenever they suspected they were being tracked.

“This place (Borno) is vast; many communities share borders with Niger and Cameroon. Kakawa, Abadam, Bama, Ngala, and Kala, among others, are areas where these insurgents operate and attack our security forces.

“They (terrorists) use the Wulgo village route for operations in and out of the area. The military cannot man all these areas due to the large landmass and openness. The terrorists plant explosives on their routes, which have killed many soldiers. The military is trying their best, I must say,” the officer said.

Katsina routes

In Katsina, sources told Sunday PUNCH that cross-border criminals utilise a forest that connects several villages with Zamfara State.

A source stated that the terrorists had routes in Mallamawa and Gurbin Baure villages and had created an alternative path to the 33km Jibia-Gurbin Baure road, which leads to Kaura Namoda in Zamfara.

It was gathered that the road was closed in August 2021 by the state government due to frequent attacks in the area.


https://punchng.com/border-breaches-terror-routes-behind-nigerias-rising-bloodbath/