UN warns terrorists using drones, crypto in Nigeria and Sahel

The United Nations warned that terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria and the wider Sahel are increasingly employing drones, sophisticated communications and cryptocurrencies to coordinate attacks across borders. The warning was delivered by Leonardo Simão, the UN special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, during a Security Council briefing that reviewed the region’s security, political and humanitarian situation.

Simão said the groups are intertwining with trans‑national organised crime to consolidate territorial and economic control, undermining public confidence in state institutions. The briefing followed a U.S. counter‑terrorism operation that seized a large cache of electronic devices in Nigeria – the biggest seizure since 9/11 – and resulted in the killing of 199 jihadists.

The UN has extended the mandate of its West Africa office to 2029, underscoring continued international support for preventive diplomacy in the region.