ISWAP Media Campaign in January 2024: A Chronological Overview

ISWAP Media Campagin January 2024
One of the banner that ISWAP disseminated in January 2024 to promote its activities and propaganda (Credits: SpecialEurasia)

Geopolitical Report ISSN 2785-2598 Volume 39 Issue 3
Authors: Christian Tratzi

Understanding the impact that jihadist propaganda and violent attacks have on regional dynamics is fundamental to assess the geopolitical risk that a target area might face. The primary aim of this report is to gather Islamic State West Africa Wilayah (ISWAP)’s statements, which are dispersed across various media channels, in order to acquire insights into the group’s rhetoric and propaganda techniques.

As SpecialEurasia reported last week, despite the death of the ISWAP leader, the group’s operational capabilities remain undiminished, clear in the heightened terrorist activity and propaganda.

 This underscores the necessity for a nuanced and intelligence-driven approach to address the escalating security risks in the region.

The surge in terrorist incidents following Shuwa’s elimination highlights the need for a focused threat assessment and predictive analysis, relying on advanced analytics and real-time data to identify patterns and anticipate potential targets.

Countering ISWAP’s reliance on propaganda requires strategic efforts both within and outside Africa. Security and intelligence forces must actively engage in counter-messaging to disrupt the dissemination of radical ideologies, leveraging psychological operations and media strategies to erode the group’s influence over susceptible individuals.

Jihadist Propaganda and Strategic Communication:
Background Information

Jihadist propaganda, a methodical dissemination orchestrated by extremist groups, serves as a strategic tool to advance ideologies, recruit adherents, and instigate violence. Strategic communication, a linchpin within this paradigm, utilises diverse channels, including social platforms, videos, and online periodicals, to reach a global audience.

The content manipulates Islamic principles, distorting religious texts to rationalise acts of violence and frame them within a perceived holy war or jihad, strategically resonating with marginalised individuals who find purpose and belonging within the extremist ideology.

By using sophisticated tactics, jihadist entities make use of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, along with high-quality videos and online publications, to distribute propaganda.

These mediums glorify violence and martyrdom, acting as potent sources of inspiration for potential recruits. The global impact of jihadist propaganda on security is significant, contributing to the radicalisation of individuals and posing challenges for authorities in monitoring and countering these propagandist messages effectively.

The profound ramifications of jihadist propaganda on global security extend to its instrumental role in the radicalisation of individuals worldwide, prompting acts of terrorism aligned with extremist ideologies. Using social media and online platforms further complicates counteractive efforts, making it challenging for authorities to monitor and respond effectively to these propagandist messages.

Read more | ISWAP’s Escalation: Increased Jihadist Activity and Propaganda following Ba’a Shuwa’s Death

ISWAP Propaganda in January 2024

The information presented in this table includes statements from ISWAP that were published in January 2024. These statements were collected from publicly available information (PAI) that is accessible on the Dark Web.

January 2, 2024 (Photo Report). Photos Featuring the Capturing and Killing of 2 Spies, Working for the Murtadd Nigerian Army near the Town of Kirinwa in the Borno Region
January 5, 2024 8 Kafir Christians Killed and Several of Their Houses Burned in an Attack by the Khilafah Soldiers in Northeastern Nigeria: “With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked the kafir Christians, in the town of Gatamaroa in the Borno region, last Monday, with machine gun fire. The attack resulted in the death of 8 Christians, burning a vehicle and several of their houses, and the seizing of some of their properties as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah”.
January 5, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers ambushed a patrol of the muaddrt Nigerian army between the towns of Katafila and Bulka, last Monday, and targeted them with machine gun fire, killing 2 of them, forcing the rest to flee, and seizing a rifle, an RPG launcher, and 2 motorcycles as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 5, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked the kafir Christians, in the village of Bola Kudbe, near the town of Chibok in the Borno region, last Tuesday, with machine gun fire, forcing them to flee and burning 5 of their homes, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 5, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Goneri in the Borno region, 2 days ago, damaging an armored vehicle, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 5, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of militias loyal to the murtadd Nigerian army, between the towns of Ajiri and Mafa in the Borno region, 2 days ago, destroying a four-wheel drive vehicle and killing 2 of its members, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 5, 2024 4 Kafir Christians were Killed and Others were Injured in an Attack by the Khilafah Soldiers in Central Nigeria. With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked several kafir Christians, who were inside a store in the town of Mararaba in the Nasarawa region in central Nigeria, last Monday, with machine gun fire, killing 4 Christians and wounding of others, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 5, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers raided the house of a commander in the militia loyal to the kafir Cameroonian army, in the town of Swiram in the Maroua region yesterday, and killed him with a machine gun fire, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 6, 2024 9 Kafir Christians were Killed in an Attack by the Khilafah Soldiers in Northern Nigeria. With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked the kafir Christians, in the town of Geidam in the Yobe region yesterday, with machine gun fire, killing 9 of them. Then, the mujahidin burned 2 vehicles, a church, and more than 10 houses, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 7, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers clashed with a patrol of militias loyal to the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Goza in the Borno region yesterday, with machine gun fire, killing 2 of them and the forcing the rest to flee. Then, the mujahidin seized some of their property as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 7, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a foot patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army and the militias loyal to it, in the town of Gaidam in the Yobe region 2 days ago, killing an army member and another from the murtadd militia, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 7, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked the kafir Christians in the village of Takolashi in the Borno region 2 days ago, with machine gun fire, forcing them to flee. Then, the mujahidin burned 3 houses, a vehicle and other property of theirs, and seized 2 tricycles as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 7, 2024 Photos Featuring Aftermath of the Khilafah Soldiers’ Attack on the Town of Ghana Maru in the Borno Region in Northern Nigeria.
January 8, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers set up a temporary checkpoint on the Gogba-Buni Yadi road in the Borno region last Thursday, and captured a member of the murtadd Nigerian army and killed him with a machine gun fire. They also captured a Christian, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 8, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked a checkpoint of the murtadd Nigerian police, near the city of Diffa, yesterday, with machine gun fire, wounding several of them, who fled the scene. Then, the mujahidin burned a four-wheel drive vehicle and seized two rifles as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 9, 2024 2024. With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked the kafir Christians in the town of Kangaliri in the Maroua region last Friday, killing 2 Christians, and seizing 2 motorcycles as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 9, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers clashed with militias loyal to the murtadd Nigerian army, between the towns of Gajibo and Ngala in the Borno region yesterday, with machine gun fire, forcing them to flee, and seizing a motorcycle as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 11, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers detonated 4 explosive devices on 2 patrols of the murtadd Nigerian army, between the towns of Gajbo and Dikwa in the Borno region, destroying and damaging 2 vehicles and killing and wounding several of them, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 11, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers clashed with a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions, near the Sambisa forests in the Borno region yesterday, with machine gun fire, killing and wounding several of them, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 11, 2024 12 Members of the Militia Loyal to the Murtadd Nigerian Army were Killed and Wounded in an Attack by the Khilafah Soldiers in Northern Nigeria. With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked a gathering of militia members loyal to the murtadd Nigerian army, in the town of Ghajiram in the Borno region 2 days ago, and targeted them with machine gun fire, killing 8 members and wounding 4 others, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 11, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers clashed with patrols of the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions, near the Sambisa forests in the Borno region last Sunday, with machine gun fire, killing 6 of them and wounding others, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 11, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the Sambisa forests in the Borno region yesterday, damaging a four-wheel drive vehicle, and all praise is due to Allah
January 11, 2024 The Khilafah soldiers clashed with a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army and militias loyal to it, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions, in the town of Kerinwa in the Borno region yesterday, with various weapons, forcing them to flee, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 12, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers attacked the kafir Christians, in the town of Dakwama Musa in the Borno region, 2 days ago, with machine gun fire, forcing them to flee. Then, the mujahidin burned several of their houses and seized some of their property as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 12, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the Algarno forest in the Borno region yesterday, damaging an armored vehicle, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 12, 2024 With success from Allah, and within the battle dubbed “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them,” the Khilafah soldiers raided the house of a militia member loyal to the murtadd Nigerian army, in the town of Kanama in the Yobe region yesterday, and killed him with machine gun fire, and all praise is due to Allah
January 14, 2024 With success from Allah, 2 days ago, the Khilafah soldiers raided the house of a spy for the murtadd Nigerian army, in the town of Dikwa in the Yobe region. The mujahidin killed him with their weapon fire and burned his house, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 14, 2024 With success from Allah, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a foot patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions, near the Sambisa forests in the Borno region, which led to the death of one of them and the injury of others, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 15, 2024 With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers clashed with a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army and militias loyal to it, near the Sambisa forests in the Borno region, with machine gun fire, forcing them to flee, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 15, 2024 With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions near the Algarno forest in the Borno region, damaging an armored vehicle, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 15, 2024 With success from Allah, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a foot patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions, near the Algarno forest in the Borno region, killing 2 of them and wounding others, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 16, 2024 With success from Allah, on last Thursday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions near the town of Ndufa in the Borno region, damaging an armored vehicle, and all praise is due to Allah.

 

   
January 16, 2024 With success from Allah, on last Friday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a foot patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions near the Algarno forest in the Borno region, killing and wounding several of them, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 16, 2024 With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers targeted a position of the murtadd Nigerian army and militias loyal to it, in the town of Ndova in the Borno region, with 2 mortar shells, and all praise is due to Allah.

 

January 16, 2024 With success from Allah, the Khilafah soldiers targeted a gathering of the murtadd Nigerian army and militias loyal to it, in the town of Omah in the Borno region, with a 40 mm grenade launcher and 5 mortar shells, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 18, 2024 7 Members of the Murtadd Nigerian Army and Militias Loyal to It were Killed and Others were Injured in 2 Bombings Carried out by the Khilafah Soldiers in Northern Nigeria. With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated 2 explosive devices on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army and the militias loyal to it, which tried to advance towards the positions of the mujahidin, near the town of Mafa in the Borno region. The explosions resulted in the destruction of a four-wheel-drive vehicle, damaging of another one, killing of 7 of them, and the wounding of others, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 21, 2024 With success from Allah, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, in the town of Mallam Fatori in the Borno region, destroying a four-wheel drive vehicle and killing and wounding its occupants, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 22, 2024. With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers clashed with patrols of the murtadd Nigerian army and militias loyal to it, which attempted to advance towards the positions of the mujahidin, in the town of Krinwa in the Borno region, with various types of weapons. The clashes resulted in the death of 3 members, the injury of others, and their escape. The mujahidin burned 2 armored vehicles and seized 8 motorcycles and various weapons and ammunition as ghanimah, and all praise is due to Allah.

 

January 22, 2024 With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of militias loyal to the murtadd Nigerian army, between the towns of Ngala and Dikwa in the Borno region, damaging a four-wheel drive vehicle, killing of a commander, and wounding others, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 24, 2024 With success from Allah, on last Thursday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Omah in the Borno region, damaging an armored vehicle, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 24, 2024 With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the Algarno forest in the Borno region, damaging an armored vehicle and wounding its occupants, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 24, 2024 With success from Allah, on last Thursday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of militias loyal to the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions, near the Algarno forests in the Borno region, destroying a motorcycle and killing of those on board, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 24, 2024 With success from Allah, 2 days ago, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Maudori in the Borno region, damaging a four-wheel drive vehicle and wounding its occupants, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 24, 2024 With success from Allah, 2 days ago, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a foot patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Azri in the Yobe region, killing and wounding several of them, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 26, 2024 With success from Allah, the Khilafah soldiers clashed with a patrol of militias loyal to the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Bulka in the Borno region, with machine gun fire, wounding one of them and forcing the rest to flee, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 26, 2024 With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, which attempted to advance towards the mujahidin positions near the town of Boroso in the Borno region, damaging a four-wheel drive vehicle and wounding its occupants, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 28, 2024 With success from Allah, 2 days ago, the Khilafah soldiers attacked a joint headquarters of the murtadd Nigerian police and army, in the town of Gajigana in the Borno region, with machine gun fire, killing an army member, wounding another, seizing 2 rifles as ghanimah, and burning the headquarters, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 28, 2024 With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers captured a spy of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Kukawa in the Borno region, and killed him with their weapons, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 30, 2024 With success from Allah, 2 days ago, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Gashua in the Yobe region, damaging an armored vehicle of theirs, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 30, 2024 With success from Allah, yesterday, the Khilafah soldiers captured 2 spies of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Kukawa in the Borno region, and killed them with their weapon fire, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 30, 2024 With success from Allah, 2 days ago, the Khilafah soldiers detonated an explosive device on a foot patrol of the murtadd Nigerian army, near the town of Gashua in the Yobe region, wounding several of them, and all praise is due to Allah.
January 31, 2024 With success from Allah, on last Saturday, the Khilafah soldiers attacked a barracks of the kafir Cameroonian army, in the town of Haile Alifa in the Maroua region, with machine gun fire, killing one of them and wounding another, and all praise is due to Allah.

ISWAP TOTAL ATTACKS: 54
43 Nigerian Army and affiliated Militias;
8 Christians;
2 Cameroon Army;
1 Not Specified, Civilians.

Conclusion

The insights into ISWAP’s communication and propaganda efforts reveal the group’s adept use of media to disseminate its messages and portray what the militants perceive as strategic victories.

Religion serves as a prominent tool in their propaganda, emphasising Allah’s purported support and framing the group’s actions as aligned with the righteous ‘path of Allah.’ This strategic use of religious discourse contributes to shaping a narrative that validates the group’s objectives and actions in the eyes of its followers.

Moreover, a discernible correlation emerges when examining the group’s increased activities in January 2024.

These escalated actions appear to be both a retaliatory response to the killing of the former leader, Ba’ha Shuwa, and a calculated necessity to assert ISWAP’s continued potency despite the leadership change.

By juxtaposing their propaganda with heightened violent attacks, ISWAP seeks to convey resilience, maintaining its operational strength even in the face of significant leadership disruptions.

This dual strategy underscores the importance of understanding both the media-centric narrative and the tangible actions of the group for a comprehensive analysis of ISWAP’s motivations and capabilities.


For those with an interest in acquiring comprehensive insights into the geopolitical dynamics of Western Africa and the terrorist threat coming from ISWAP, we encourage you to reach out to SpecialEurasia by emailing info@specialeurasia.com. We are ready to assist you in evaluating the possibility of acquiring a carefully crafted and customised report to meet your intelligence requirements.

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