Bandits Flood Benue Following US Backed Airstrikes

The security landscape in North-Central Nigeria has taken a volatile turn as former Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), warns of a massive influx of bandits into Benue State. According to the former justice minister, these armed groups are fleeing intensified military pressure in Sokoto State, particularly following high-impact airstrikes conducted on Christmas Day with reported support from the United States.

Speaking during a televised interview on Arise News this Thursday, Aondoakaa painted a grim picture of a “displacement effect” where military success in one region inadvertently pushes the crisis into another. He revealed that the bandits, seeking new safe havens after being dislodged from their northern strongholds, have now moved in large numbers to overrun several rural communities within Benue’s borders.

The crisis is most acute in the Ukum Local Government Area, a region traditionally known for its vast agricultural output. Aondoakaa disclosed the staggering scale of the territorial loss, noting that 10 out of the 13 administrative wards in Ukum have effectively fallen under the control of these fleeing bandits. This occupation represents a significant breakdown of local governance and security in the area.

One of the most concerning aspects of this migration is the proximity of the armed groups to critical national infrastructure. Aondoakaa raised the alarm that the bandits have established settlements less than three kilometers away from the Zaki-Biam main market. As the largest yam market in Nigeria, Zaki-Biam is a vital artery for the nation’s food security, and its encirclement threatens to trigger a localized famine and a national surge in food prices.

The former AGF argued that the current situation is an “alarming” development that requires an immediate and decisive response from the central government. He pointed out that while the Christmas Day strikes in Sokoto demonstrated what can be achieved through international military collaboration, the failure to follow up on the fleeing groups has left Benue vulnerable to the “mayhem” currently unfolding.

Aondoakaa is now calling on the Federal Government to replicate the Sokoto model in Benue. He urged President Bola Tinubu to extend the military partnership with the United States to target these new concentrations of bandits. According to him, anywhere these groups gather in significant numbers, there must be a swift aerial intervention to prevent them from establishing permanent operational bases.

The legal luminary also suggested that the ripples of this bandit migration are being felt as far away as the South-West. He linked recent security breaches in Oyo State to the movement and regrouping of these displaced armed actors. This suggests a trans-regional security threat that is no longer confined to the traditional “banditry belt” of the North-West, but is instead becoming a fluid, nationwide crisis.

Aondoakaa’s intervention highlights a persistent critique of Nigerian military strategy: the lack of “containment” during offensive operations. Analysts have often noted that without a 360-degree blockade, airstrikes in the North frequently result in bandits scattering into neighboring states like Benue, Niger, and Nasarawa, effectively shifting the theater of war rather than ending it.

The former minister stressed that if the Nigerian Air Force currently lacks the specific technical capacity to track and neutralize these mobile groups in the thick forests of Benue, they must not hesitate to seek further assistance. He emphasized that “corroboration” with foreign allies like the U.S. is essential to “flush them out” before they can launch coordinated attacks on major towns or market hubs.

For the people of Ukum, the arrival of these battle-hardened groups from Sokoto has transformed daily life into a struggle for survival. With 75 percent of their wards occupied, farming activities—the backbone of the local economy—have largely ground to a halt. The presence of bandits so close to the Zaki-Biam market suggests that a major economic blockade could be the insurgents’ next tactical move.

As the Federal Government weighs its next steps, the pressure is mounting to ensure that military victories in the North-West do not come at the expense of the Middle Belt’s stability. Aondoakaa’s warning serves as a reminder that in the fight against insurgency, the “success” of an airstrike is only as good as the subsequent security provided to the regions where the survivors flee.

The calls for a renewed “aerial offensive” in Benue mirror the growing desperation of residents who feel that the state has become a “dumping ground” for insurgents pushed out of other regions. Whether the government will heed the call for further U.S.-backed intervention remains to be seen, but for now, the shadow of the Sokoto bandits looms large over the yam barns of Zaki-Biam.