A cleric affiliated with the Islamic State West Africa Province has threatened a possible attack on Malam Fatori following the killing of 75 terrorists during a failed assault on March 18, 2026.
Security expert Zagazola Makama reported the development on Tuesday, March 24, in a post on X, citing military sources.
According to Makama, the cleric led Eid-el-Fitr prayers this year at a location near Sabon Tumbu and used his sermon to warn that the group would retaliate against Nigerian troops for military operations in Malam Fatori.
The source told Makama that the cleric specifically threatened that the town could be “reduced to ashes” in a reprisal attack.
Military sources stressed that such statements by insurgents should not be dismissed as mere rhetoric.
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Malam Fatori has long served as a stronghold of military resistance against terrorist groups in the region.
The town has recorded several decisive victories against ISWAP fighters over the years, earning it the nickname “Graveyard of ISWAP” and a reputation as difficult terrain for insurgents.
Troops of the Armed Forces, supported by other security agencies, remain on high alert following the threat.
Military personnel have continued to strengthen defensive positions in anticipation of any attempted incursion.
The failed March 18 attack, which resulted in the neutralisation of 75 terrorists, appears to have prompted the threat from the ISWAP cleric.