John Campbell, a former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, has warned that Boko Haram terrorists may attack Kano and Lagos states.
The former diplomat noted that the disunion in the terrorist group might not damage its ability to launch deadly attacks as the group will likely regroup, becoming more radical and violent.
Campbell said, “It should be anticipated that attacks on government and Western facilities will continue but not necessarily centred in the North-East.
“Instead, the two factions are likely to carry out attacks further afield, in Kano, possibly Lagos, and almost certainly in Cameroon and Niger. There may well be greater cooperation with the various criminal networks that are active across the Sahel.
“The paradox is that a splintered Boko Haram with rival leaders may pose less of a threat to the Nigerian state in the short term but a greater one to the broader region and to Western individuals and interests.
“Up to now, (Abubakar) Shekau’s ties to the Islamic State do not appear to have been operationally significant, while al-Barnawi’s link with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb appears to have been limited to specific operations. That could change in the future.”