Nigerian State Bans Fuel Sales to Curb Jihadist Attacks

Borno State, located in northeastern Nigeria and known as a hotbed of jihadist insurgency, has announced a ban on fuel sales in several areas, a move aimed at restricting the movement of armed groups that have been active in the region for years.

In an official statement, the state governor Babagana Umara Zulum said he had ordered "the immediate imposition of a ban on the sale of fuel in Bama town and other parts of its local authority," adding that the decision was part of a "strategy to support counter-insurgency operations."

The decision is expected to limit the militants' ability to move and carry out attacks using vehicles, particularly in areas near the Sambisa Forest, the main stronghold of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), a splinter group from Boko Haram.

Bama is the state's second-largest city after the capital, Maiduguri, and has witnessed bloody episodes of conflict in recent years, most notably the Boko Haram invasion in 2014, which killed hundreds of civilians.

This decision comes as northeastern Nigeria experiences a new wave of violence. Increasing attacks since April have killed more than 100 people. The conflict, which began more than 16 years ago, continues, claiming the lives of more than 40,000 people and displacing nearly two million. Borno State, where Boko Haram emerged in 2009, remains a flashpoint for security tensions in Africa's most populous country, with security challenges persisting despite repeated military operations.