Notorious bandit kingpin, Dogo Gide frustrates Islamic State expansion in Nigeria

Notorious bandit kingpin, Dogo Gide, has emerged as a major obstacle to the expansion of the Islamic State Sahel Province, ISSP, in Nigeria’s North-West, reportedly inflicting significant losses on the terror group and forcing its fighters to retreat.

Security analyst Brant Philip disclosed this in a post on X on Wednesday while analysing the activities of ISSP and its attempts to establish stronger ties with armed bandit groups in the region.

Philip said ISSP had, over the past two years, repeatedly initiated contact with bandit groups in Sokoto, Zamfara and Niger states, seeking to persuade them to surrender, repent and join its extremist campaign.

According to him, some bandit groups in Zamfara and Sokoto accepted the group’s overtures and were absorbed into its ranks, while others resisted its advances.

He disclosed that ISSP fighters had defeated several bandit groups in northern Zamfara, taking over their camps, weapons and vehicles.

However, Philip said the terror group’s expansion encountered a major obstacle around mid-2026 when it confronted Dogo Gide, a prominent bandit warlord operating in the region.

“As I have reported during the past two years, ISSP has many times initiated contact with bandit groups in Sokoto, Zamfara and Niger states, among others, in the hope to make them surrender, repent and join the Islamic State’s cause. Some in Zamfara and Sokoto answered the call and were absorbed into their ranks, and others decided to resist. Many bandits were defeated in northern Zamfara by IS, and their camps, weapons and vehicles were taken over.

“However, a few months ago, around mid-2026, IS faced their most significant obstacle yet in their expansion. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t JNIM or the army; it was Dogo Gide, a prominent warlord who characterised himself by maintaining opportunistic ties with jihadists in some periods and was also the only one able to kick out Sadiku’s JAS faction from its strongholds in Niger State towards the west,” Philip wrote.