ISIS in Africa appoints new ‘Governor of Lake Chad’

By DAVID OTTO

The Shura Council of ISIS in West Africa – the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) – has appointed one Aliyu Chakkar as its new ‘Governor of the Lake Chad’ region. Aliyu Chakkar replaced Amir Goni Maina after the ISWAP warlord was eliminated in a Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force coordinated military bombardment. The development came about while the jihadists were in the process of conducting a strategic leadership and operational meeting at a location given as Sabon Tumbu, on December 1st 2020.

The Damage assessment of the targeted aerial strike shows that it has killed the former jihadist ‘governor’ Amir Goni Maina.  While the other parallel precision air strikes at jihadists camps in Ingilwa, Tundun Wulgo, Jubularam and Abbaganaram fridges of the Lake Chad, led to the elimination of more than 100 jihadist. Those killed, included several high-ranking insurgents’ commanders, foot soldiers and Hisbah police. The information further added that most of the casualties were from the ISWAP faction, Abubakar Shekau faction and foreign mercenaries.

Sources further disclosed that the newly appointed ‘governor’ and Lake Chad basin warlord was spotted enroute to ”debrief” Amir Ba-Lawan,  the ISWAP leader in a location revealed as KOYOWA, which is the known Headquarters and strongesthold of the ISIS-affiliated West Africa province branch. The little known but notorious Aliyu Chakkar, was accompanied for his maiden tête à tête meeting by 3 of his trusted lieutenants; Mohd Maluma, Ali Hussaini Ali Musak, all high ranking ISWAP field Commanders.

A very reliable source stated that while at Kayowa, the ISWAP Headquarters, Ba-Lawan handed over the mantle of leadership of the Lake Chad region to the new ‘Governor’. On recieving his official appointment, Chakkar is said to have sworn to consolidate on the command and control successes recorded by late Goni Maina. He promised to sustain previous plans of launching indiscriminate attacks in the coming months; presumably December 2020 and January/February of 2021.

Sources further revealed that on December 12th, Chakkar and his group of loyalists fighters, returned to Sabon Tumbu and Jubularam for a familiarisation tour. He is reported to have proceeded to his newly established command and control base at a location named as Doron Buhari. It is situated around North of Kirta and East of Bakkassi town, where he was received by some other key ISWAP leaders including Malam Abubakar Dan Buduma, Amir Bin Umar, and Commander Hakilu.

The new appointment and leadership of Amir Aliyu Chakkar will no doubt trigger a wave of planned and directed attacks against soft civilian and hard military targets,  specifically targeting military positions, routes and vulnerable towns in and around the Timbuktu triangle  and the Lake Chad basin states. New alliances are likely to be forged with external jihadists units in the Sahel via links with Niger Republic units.

Multiple attack tactics are likely to be deployed to target locations along Maiduguri metropolis as an entry signature for power consolidation by the new ISWAP warlord. Multiple stakeholders – including civilians; Staff of INGOs and state officials must be extremely alert and be extremely vigilant in this period – computers should travel only when extremely necessary.

If you see something – say something immediately.  This is the people’s war – the security services can only win if the people are willing and protected to play an active role in timely information sharing.

• David Otto is an internationally respected security expert.