Nigeria arrests Pakistani terror operatives abetting Boko Haram group

Nigeria has arrested four Pakistani nationals, accusing them of training cadres of jihadist terror group Boko Haram. They were also allegedly involved in supplying arms to the terrorist group, which is based in northeastern Nigeria and has been charged with carrying out assassinations and large-scale violence in the West African country.

The Nigerian authorities have also discovered the presence of foreign mercenaries among the ranks of Boko Haram, according to people familiar with the matter.

The presence of foreign mercenaries led to the deployment of drones for surveillance and attacks, the fabrication of advanced improvised explosive devices and the setting of traps targeting military personnel in Nigeria, they said.


Nigeria is planning to intensify intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, as well as seek strong collaboration with neighbouring nations to counter the cross-border support network of the terrorists.

Counterterrorism experts told ET that Pakistani terrorists and radicals have spread their network in Africa and Eurasia, even as there has been strong international pushback against Pakistan-based terror infrastructure.

Since early this year, there has been a resurgence in the activities of Boko Haram, according to people in the know. The group has been at the forefront of terrorism in West Africa since 2009, when it first carried out terrorist strikes to impose its radical version of Islamic law. The conflict spilled into Nigeria’s neighbouring countries and has killed more than 30,000 civilians and displaced more than two million people, according to the United Nations.

Boko Haram has two factions, one of which, Islamic State West Africa Province, is supported by the Islamic State, while the other is known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad.

India has stepped up its defence and counterterrorism partnership with Nigeria. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country last year, the two sides agreed to deepen collaboration in maritime security, intelligence and counterterrorism. Nigeria, whose top military leadership has been trained in India for several decades, is also exploring defence industry partnership with India.