When armed conflict in NW, SW aids Boko Haram!.

When the border was being opened a year ago, the Governor of the Far North Region, Midjiyawa Bakari, had said it reactivated the Banki Market to transform the agricultural sector and foster economic growth, food security, and job creation, particularly for young people.

He added that "this will benefit not only the youth of Nigeria, but also us Cameroonians". 

Reopening the borders also contributed to Cameroon’s national economy, through customs duties. Far North Customs data reviewed by the Institute for Security Studies "revealed that before Boko Haram attacks started in 2013, the most profitable office in the region was Limani, which generated annual revenue of 1,114,791,860 FCFA. After reopening the borders, revenue reached 2,201,420,676 FCFA In Fotokol, while 1,519,630,651 FCFA was collected in 2024". 

The thriving Amchidé-Banki border market enables border communities to trade in livestock and food products.

But as research by the institute, published last week indicates: "It can also, as in the past, serve as a source of supplies for Boko Haram and give fresh impetus to the militants’ economy of violence. Boko Haram could, for example, use the newly inaugurated cattle market in Banki to resell stolen cattle, an activity that has become a major source of the group’s income". 

Since cross-border traffic resumed, traders and transporters have increasingly been targeted by Boko Haram.

According to ISS data, between September and November 2024, at least 29 ambushes or attacks were launched against vehicles transporting trade goods from Banki or Amchidé.

Trucks are often emptied of their contents and burnt, while drivers and traders are kidnapped or killed.

The roads linking Banki-Amchidé-Limani and Fotokol-Maltam to National Route No. 1, are rutted and unpaved, passing through bush for several kilometres. Boko Haram often places Improvised Explosive Devices, IED, on the stretch of road, the report pointed out.

The Banki-Amchidé-Limani and Fotokol areas are threatened by the two major Boko Haram factions – Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, while Boko Haram’s presence threatens the progress and stability enabled by the reopening of the trade route. 

Recent reports also show large-scale ISWAP attacks on military posts in Cameroon, Chad and Niger, aimed at weakening the security apparatus, stocking up on weapons and taking advantage of the booming cross-border trade.

The upsurge in terrorism could undermine the confidence of communities in their countries’ security forces.

There is no doubt that the Cameroonian army, supported by Nigerian contingents of the Multinational Joint Task Force, has been fighting the insurgent, dismantling their hideouts and suicide bomber training bases.

Just recently, the United States bombed some of their camps in Nigeria, but as research has indicated, Boko Haram is still breathing.

The same research divulged that "the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions, has significantly aided the Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North Region, by straining the country’s military, financial, and humanitarian resources”.

"As the government focuses its security apparatus on fighting separatists, the Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency has resurged, leading to increased insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin," it added. 

The reported noted that: "The two-front war (Anglophone crisis in the west and Boko Haram in the north) has stretched the army, making the Far North region more vulnerable to infiltration and attacks by Boko Haram militants…".

So, what's the solution?

It is to resolve the Anglophone conflict with inclusive and genuine dialogue.

In addition, it is paramount Cameroon and Nigeria reinforce physical security and augment intelligence to detect and disrupt terror operations. A proactive strategy could prevent the spread of Boko Haram cells along borders and major trade routes, as was the case with past military efforts.

There is also the urgency to ameliorate roads in the  Far North Region, prioritise the upgrading of the Mora-Amchidé and Fotokol-Maltam roads as has been requested by local residents.

Another aspect of the solution recommended by the institute, which The Guardian Posts sides with, is to provide "a military escort system, dedicated to securing goods convoys to protect trade flows and deter Boko Haram activity. Military escorts would also help limit illicit trafficking and prevent any infiltration by Boko Haram agents attempting to resupply”.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3692 of Tuesday February 03, 2026