Dr. Isma’il Tanko Wudilawa, a security specialist and former Joint Task Force commander, asserts that terrorist factions in northern Nigeria are actively exploiting women to bolster their operations. Because military pressure has pushed insurgent groups into secluded areas, they have become reliant on civilian support, particularly women, to maintain their supply lines.
Reports indicate that women are being used to ferry essential items such as food, medicine, and weaponry to forest hideouts. In Borno State, recent security actions led to the apprehension of Hauwa Abulazeez and Kellu Abba, both suspected of facilitating logistics for militant groups, including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Beyond physical supplies, Wudilawa highlights that women are frequently utilized as informants to monitor the movements of targets.
Wudilawa identifies a mix of factors driving this phenomenon, ranging from financial desperation and greed to direct coercion. He emphasizes that while some participate voluntarily, others are forced into compliance. The expert urged the public to support security personnel rather than obstructing them and called on the government to alleviate the poverty that fuels these recruitment efforts.
