A Nigerian soldier is arrested for tipping off criminals - but does it go deeper?

Multiple armed groups have been carrying out violent attacks in Nigeria for over 10 years now

A Nigerian soldier has been arrested over allegations he supplied military uniforms to "terrorist" and "criminal" groups, the army says.

Private Mohammed Yusuf was caught on Saturday evening at a bus stop in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, military spokesperson Mohammed Goni said the following day.

The soldier, who was previously stationed at a factory for army equipment, was allegedly attempting to flee across the border into neighbouring Cameroon.

He deserted his unit earlier this month, Goni said, before relocating to Maiduguri, where he went into hiding with the help of an "associate".

A variety of armed groups - including militant Islamists, separatists and gangs who kidnap civilians for ransom - have been causing problems for the authorities, and some of them deceptively wear military uniforms.

The suspect was arrested trying to flee into neighbouring Cameroon, the army says

Now, in a nation that for over a decade has been blighted by armed attacks on civilians, people are wondering whether these assaults are failing to subside because criminal elements and security personnel are working together.

It is not unreasonable to believe some of these groups are being assisted by military personnel, Bashir Galma, a security analyst and retired army major, told the BBC.

"I know there have been instances where plans are made for an attack on a location and the information finds its way to either [militant Islamist group] Boko Haram or another criminal gang," he said, suggesting an insider tip-off.

At least 3,000 kidnappings and 3,580 killings by armed groups took place between January 2024 and April 2025 alone, data from Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission records

The alarming surge in mass abductions has been attributed to gunmen known locally as bandits, as well as insurgent attacks from Boko Haram and its offshoot, Iswap.

Attacks on schools have also been making the headlines, although this has been a problem for years. Between April 2014 and May 2026, there were 26 major school attacks with at least 2,416 students abducted, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) says.

Ransom payments are estimated to run into millions of dollars annually, according to official data.

In April 2025, the governor of Nigeria's embattled Borno state, Babagana Zulum, alleged that informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents were operating within the country's armed forces, political class and local communities.

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