Nigeria's Defence Minister warns Sahel terrorism spillover amid West African security crisis

Nigerian Defence Minister Christopher Musa said the country is vulnerable to instability flowing from the Sahel, linking the fallout from Libya’s collapse, rising terrorist activity and Nigeria’s valuable mineral resources to a growing security threat. He noted a spike in incidents after a low‑crime year in 2024 and warned that both internal and external actors could exploit the situation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Former army chief Tukur Buratai called for an African‑led approach to counter terrorism, organised crime, cyber threats and governance instability. He highlighted that the Sahel accounted for nearly half of global terror deaths, citing about 450 attacks and 1,900 fatalities in West Africa in 2025, and warned that violence is spreading to northern Benin. Buratai urged stronger regional intelligence sharing, indigenous capabilities and cyber‑defence, noting the weakening of ECOWAS cooperation after the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.