You're going about your day, and then you hear that terrorists have taken over forests and grazing reserves in many parts of Nigeria. That's what the Conference of Autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities Community Development Associations, CONAECDA, is saying. They claim that these areas have become bases for terrorists and other criminals. The group doesn't think this is a surprise, as they've been warning about it for a while. They're concerned that it's now a reality.

The group's Secretary-General, Suleman Sukukum, and President, Danladi Jeji, made this known at a briefing in Jos. They said that recent attacks in Niger, Kwara, and Kogi states show that insecurity is spreading fast. It's not just these states, though - there are also violent incidents in other states. For example, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Kaduna states have all seen violent incidents. They're all worried about what might happen next.

Sukukum and Jeji also talked about herders moving into remote parts of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. They warned that this poses a big security threat to people living in Abuja and nearby communities. The group said that nearly all forests and grazing reserves in Nigeria now have terrorist groups or sleeper cells. They can't stress this enough - it's a major concern.

““There are reports indicating that nearly all forests and grazing reserves across the country now host sleeper cells or active terrorist groups,” they said. They didn't mince words”

— they think it's a serious issue.

CONAECDA criticized attempts to make insecurity about politics or ethnicity. They said that terrorists use differences in religion, ethnicity, and politics to recruit members and carry out violent attacks. The group noted that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of terrorist attacks. So, they don't think insecurity should be seen as just a religious or political issue. It's more complex than that.

They're saying that people shouldn't ignore the facts - they should look at the issue as a whole.

The group also talked about the debate over who is an indigene and who is a settler. They said that native rights and traditional identities are recognized in Nigeria's governance structure. They shouldn't be ignored under the guise of universal citizenship rights. Local governments and traditional institutions are the ones who can issue indigene certificates, the group added. They're clear about what they think - they don't want to see these rights ignored.

As Eid-el-Kabir approaches, the military has warned about possible terror attacks in the North-East. The Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), said that Boko Haram and ISWAP might attack crowded areas during the celebrations. They advised people to be careful. They should report any suspicious activity to the authorities. They won't tolerate any threats - they'll take action if necessary.

  • Terrorists have taken over forests and grazing reserves in many parts of Nigeria.
  • The Conference of Autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities Community Development Associations, CONAECDA, made this known at a briefing in Jos.
  • Recent attacks in Niger, Kwara, and Kogi states show that insecurity is spreading.
  • The military has warned about possible terror attacks in the North-East during Eid-el-Kabir celebrations. They're taking it seriously - they don't want to see anyone get hurt.