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At least 18 people were killed and 30 injured in a series of attacks by suspected female suicide bombers in Borno State. The attacks…

At least 18 people were killed and 30 injured in a series of attacks by suspected female suicide bombers in Borno State. The attacks targeted a wedding, funeral, and hospital in Gwoza, according to Barkindo Saidu, director general of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency. Victims included children, adults, and pregnant women. Meanwhile, in Katsina State, suspected terrorists ambushed and killed five mobile police officers travelling from Zandam village to Jibia. Four officers died at the scene, while one died while receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina. The terrorists stole five AK-47 rifles during the incident.

The use of female suicide bombers has long been a feature of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s North East. However, this tactic is mostly associated with the original JAS faction under the leadership of the late Abubakar Shekau. Differences over tactics, especially the use of female suicide bombers and the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, including Muslims, led to the splintering of the group, birthing the more militant Islamic State-backed faction whose primary target is the military. The resurgence of suicide bombings indicates that the military has dropped the ball. Furthermore, emphasis on security and vigilance may have been reduced because most of the attacks by Boko Haram in the past few years have come in the form of pitched battles, kidnappings, and fewer suicide bombings as the group, starved of manpower, is desperate to hang on to its population in a wave of massive defection of fighters and families to the Nigerian government. The fact that bandits have resorted to this strategy portends worrying signs for the police, given how less fortified they are in repelling bandit attacks than the military, which suffers the same fate only when faced with a group with more sophisticated firepower. The immediate fatalities resulting from blasts are undeniably tragic. Yet, the broader and more insidious impact of such violence often manifests in the profound psychological and emotional scars left on a community and the behaviours they choose to adopt in response to the events. Moreover, the societal implications extend into social dynamics and communal relationships. When ordinary citizens are viewed with suspicion, it fosters an environment of alienation and isolation. The fear of potential violence can drive wedges between different community groups, exacerbating divisions and fostering an atmosphere of mistrust and intolerance. Targeting diverse locations, including social gatherings and institutions, underscores the terrorists’ aim to destabilise the region and erode public confidence in the state’s ability to protect its citizens. The French military pull-out from the Sahelian region has had significant implications. France’s Operation Barkhane played a crucial role in combating terrorism, and its withdrawal has created a security vacuum that terrorist groups are eager to exploit. Some of the countries in the area have embraced Russia because it offers military and diplomatic bonds that come with fewer conditions regarding governance and human rights in contrast to that of France and other Western countries, but we hope that at some point, the new partnership would have a measurable impact on the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.