Security and intelligence sources have raised the alarm that terrorists displaced from the North-West are increasingly relocating to parts of the South-East and South-South through interconnected forest corridors spanning several states.
Dislodged terrorists fleeing sustained military operations in Zamfara and Sokoto states are increasingly relocating to the South-East and South-South regions through a network of forests, cattle routes and riverine corridors, security and intelligence sources have disclosed.
According to Saturday PUNCH, the insurgents are exploiting interconnected pathways stretching across Niger, Kogi, Anambra, Imo, Abia and parts of the South-West to evade security pressure in northern Nigeria.
A senior security source revealed that some of the fleeing terrorists had already filtered into southern states.
“These terrorists started moving from Zamfara; they went through the bushes and forests and might have ended up in other states, including Imo and Abia. Some are even in Ogun State,” the source said.
The official added that security agencies were tracking several terror factions, including Ansaru elements believed to be operating across parts of Niger, Kwara and the South-West.
A retired Army General described Kogi State as the strategic convergence point for terrorist movements, noting that insurgents rely heavily on forest routes and the Niger River corridor to access southern territories.
“The connecting links for these terrorists are the forests that network the North (Zamfara–Benue–Niger–Kogi) with the South-East and South-West,” he explained.
He added that cattle routes and transhumance pathways have become critical movement channels for criminal groups seeking concealment.
A Department of State Services officer also confirmed that forests linking Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo and Edo states are increasingly being exploited by the fleeing terrorists.
“They have a command centre in Kogi where they train and strategise,” the DSS operative alleged.
Investigations by the newspaper further identified dense forest belts and difficult terrains across Anambra, Imo and Abia states as potential transit routes used by the insurgents.
Security experts warned that the migration pattern underscores the evolving nature of Nigeria’s security challenges, with criminal groups adapting their movements in response to military offensives.
The reported movement has already triggered heightened vigilance in several southern states as authorities intensify surveillance and defensive measures to prevent the establishment of new terrorist strongholds outside the North.
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