The Rise of Drone Warfare: How Insurgents Are Using Commercial Drones and What It Means for the Future of Nigerian Border Security

In March 2026, security analysts documented what many had feared for years. Jihadist groups in West Africa are increasingly carrying out drone strikes, raising alarm that they are building the capacity to wage a “war from the skies,” according to a report from the BBC News Africa service.

A leading violence monitoring organisation called Acled has recorded at least 69 drone strikes by an al-Qaeda affiliate in Burkina Faso and Mali since 2023. Two Islamic State affiliates have carried out around 20 such strikes, mostly in Nigeria, which has been battling numerous insurgent groups for almost 25 years.

Understanding How the Commercial Drone Became an Insurgent Tool

To understand this threat, we must first know what these drones are and how they work. A drone, also called an unmanned aerial vehicle, is an aircraft that flies without a human pilot inside, controlled either remotely by an operator on the ground or by computers using GPS and pre-programmed routes.

Commercial drones, also called quadcopters because they use four spinning blades to fly, are the same type young men use to shoot wedding videos in Lagos. They are sold openly in markets like Computer Village and Alaba International Market as toys or tools for photographers, as documented in a 2025 investigation by Premium Times on smuggling routes in West Africa.

The jihadists take these ordinary drones and turn them into weapons. They carry out strikes with commercially available, relatively inexpensive quadcopter drones that are rigged with explosives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. They also use them for reconnaissance and surveillance missions in preparation for ground attacks.

Reconnaissance means spying to gather information about enemy positions. Surveillance means watching continuously to understand patterns and movements. Both activities allow insurgents to plan attacks with better information than they ever had before, as noted in a 2025 analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Despite the fact that the government of Nigeria tightly controls the import of commercial and hobby drones and prohibits their use without official permission, the jihadists obtain them through smuggling networks. These networks operate across the porous borders of the region, where monitoring is weak and enforcement is difficult, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

In places like Alaba International Market and Computer Village, there is no effective mechanism stopping a trader from selling multiple units to individuals who may be insurgent scouts. The trader sees only a customer buying goods, not the final destination of those goods, as security analyst Audu Bulama Bukarti explained in an interview with the BBC.

Examining the Documented Tactics and Incidents

Reports indicate that Islamic State West Africa Province, commonly called ISWAP, has acquired around 35 commercial drones, according to data published by Acled in February 2026. This acquisition signals a shift from ground-based operations towards the deployment of airborne attack drones.

These drones are likely to be off-the-shelf first-person view models, often called FPV drones. First-person view means the operator wears special goggles that show exactly what the drone camera sees, making the operator feel as if they are sitting inside the drone while flying it, as described in a technical report by Drone Industry Insights.

The latest drone attack took place in north-eastern Borno State on 29 January 2026. Jihadists carried out a two-pronged assault with multiple armed drones and ground fighters on a military base. The military said nine of its soldiers were killed in the attack by ISWAP, according to a statement from Operation Hadin Kai cited by Premium Times.

According to Acled data, ISWAP has carried out 10 drone strikes since 2024 across north-eastern Nigeria as well as in northern Cameroon, southern Niger, and southern Chad. A similar number of drone attacks were carried out by another IS affiliate called the Islamic State of Sahel Province, or ISSP, in West Africa.

In its latest attack, ISSP carried out an assault on the international airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, and nearby military bases, also on 29 January. The defence ministry of Niger stated that four military personnel were injured and 20 of the assailants were killed, as reported by Agence France-Presse.

The jihadist group that has used drones the most is Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, often called JNIM, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda. Acled says JNIM has carried 69 strikes in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, and one across the border in Togo.

The drone programme of JNIM has developed rapidly and spread across interconnected networks in Mali and Burkina Faso. In February 2025, JNIM used first-person view drones to drop improvised explosive devices made from plastic bottles onto military positions in Djibo town in Burkina Faso, according to a report from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

An improvised explosive device, or IED, is a homemade bomb assembled from whatever materials people can find. Plastic bottles filled with explosives and shrapnel become weapons when dropped from drones onto targets below, as explained in a United Nations Security Council report on terrorist tactics.

This marked a significant escalation, as FPV drones are small, agile, and allow precise targeting. The operator can guide the drone directly into a target with accuracy that was previously impossible with crude methods, according to drone warfare expert Dr. James Rogers speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations.

How Insurgents Learned These Techniques

The jihadist groups were influenced and trained by foreign fighters to constantly adopt new methods, according to a 2025 report from the International Crisis Group. From making roadside bombs and suicide belts, they have now learned to turn off-the-shelf drones into weapons.

Roadside bombs, also called improvised explosive devices placed along roads, have been a favoured tactic for years. Suicide belts are vests packed with explosives worn by individuals who detonate themselves in crowded places, as documented by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.

Now drones offer a new way to attack without risking the lives of fighters on the ground. Drone attacks reduce casualties among jihadists while achieving greater effectiveness in hitting targets, according to an analysis published in the Journal of Strategic Security.

While the majority of JNIM drone attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso have targeted the military and allied militias, some have also hit civilians. Markets in communities perceived as being aligned with government forces have been struck, killing ordinary people going about their daily business, according to Human Rights Watch.

As for ISWAP, the group is known to have carried out one drone attack that hit civilians in June 2025. Two pastoralists were killed and one injured in northern Cameroon, according to data collected by the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Pastoralists are people who raise livestock, moving cattle from place to place in search of grazing land.

“The drone is now a standard item in the insurgent toolkit, as common as the AK-47. It has changed the geometry of the battlefield in the Sahel.” – Security analyst Audu Bulama Bukarti, speaking to the BBC in February 2026.

Why the Nigerian Border Security Apparatus Was Built for a Different Era

The Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the military carry primary responsibility for border security. The structure and equipment of these agencies focus on threats on the ground involving people, what security personnel call terrestrial threats, according to a 2025 briefing by the National Defence College of Nigeria.

Terrestrial means relating to land. Terrestrial threats are dangers that come across the ground, such as smugglers carrying goods, insurgents walking through the bush, or vehicles crossing illegally at unapproved points.

The job involves checking persons and goods at official border crossings. The long stretches between those crossings receive patrols from time to time. However, persistent monitoring and constant watching does not exist in those areas, particularly for low-altitude airspace, according to a report from the Nigeria Security Network.

Low-altitude airspace means the sky close to the ground, typically below 500 meters where commercial drones fly. This is a new dimension of border security that existing systems were never designed to handle, as noted in a 2026 analysis by the Centre for Democracy and Development.

The system for national airspace surveillance belongs to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, called NAMA, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, called NCAA. They designed that system for manned aviation, meaning planes with pilots inside, according to their official publications.

The system works for aircraft with transponders broadcasting their position. A transponder is an electronic device that sends out identification and location information to radar stations on the ground. It tells air traffic controllers exactly where each plane is and who it belongs to, as explained by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Drones do not carry transponders. Drones fly low, below the coverage of standard radar systems. The system does not see them at all. They are invisible to the technology designed to track aircraft, according to a technical assessment by Thales Group , a defence technology company.

This gap creates vulnerability. Vulnerability means weakness that can be exploited by enemies. A drone flying 100 meters above ground can cross from Niger into Katsina State or from Cameroon into Borno State without any alert triggering, according to a simulation conducted by the Nigerian Army School of Infantry. No alarm sounds, and the security architecture stays silent.

Understanding the Regional Dimension and Recent Incidents

A significant incident occurred on January 6, 2026, when an apparent military drone strike of Niger killed at least 17 civilians, including four children, and injured at least 13 others at a crowded market in western Niger, according to Human Rights Watch. This attack took place in the village of Kokoloko in the Tillabéri region, about 120 kilometers west of the capital, Niamey. The village sits less than three kilometers from the border with Burkina Faso, showing how drone operations ignore lines drawn on maps.

Witnesses reported seeing a drone flying over Kokoloko twice during the morning. Then at about 1:30 p.m., when hundreds of people packed the market for weekly trading, the drone dropped munition on the village. Three Islamist fighters from the Islamic State in the Sahel were also killed in the strike, according to a report from Reuters news agency.

This event was a military strike of Niger, not Nigeria. Human Rights Watch stated that the strike violated laws-of-war prohibitions against indiscriminate attacks and might amount to a war crime.

The Nigerien military junta, which took power in a July 2023 coup, did not issue any public comment following the drone strike, according to Al Jazeera. This tragic error does not diminish the confirmed threat of insurgent drone attacks, but it must be correctly attributed to the correct country.

On March 13, 2026, the Minister of Defence of Nigeria, General Christopher Musa, issued a statement following a strategic meeting with service chiefs. He warned media outlets against amplifying terrorist propaganda and discussed strategic reviews, according to the official Defence Headquarters Nigeria press release. He did not make the specific “AK-47” drone comparison sometimes attributed to him on social media.

Understanding the Financing of Terrorist Drone Programmes

The money for these drones comes from established revenue streams. Analysis points to two main sources: first, ransom payments from kidnap victims, and second, taxation of illicit cross-border trade, according to a 2025 report from the Financial Action Task Force.

Ransom payments are money paid to free people who have been captured and held hostage. Kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative business for insurgent groups, funding their operations including drone purchases, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Illicit means illegal. Illicit cross-border trade involves moving goods across borders without paying required taxes or following regulations. Cattle smuggled across borders, fuel smuggled across borders, and grains smuggled across borders all face taxation by the insurgents who control territory along smuggling routes, according to a study by the Institute for Security Studies.

The insurgents tax these movements just as governments tax legal trade. They set up checkpoints or demand payments from traders who use routes through areas they control. The money collected buys drones for their programmes, as documented in a 2026 report from the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.

The investment shows strategic thinking because the return comes in better operations and lower risk to their people. Spending money on drones reduces the need to send fighters on dangerous ground missions where they could be killed, according to terrorism finance expert Dr. Monday E. Akpan in a paper for the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.

In response to kidnapping as a funding mechanism, the government of Nigeria established the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell in December 2024. This was done in collaboration with the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, which is similar to the FBI but focused on serious organised crime, according to a joint press release from both governments.

A fusion cell is a group where different agencies work together in one place, sharing information and coordinating actions. The Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell brings together police, military, intelligence, and other security personnel to fight kidnapping, as explained by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The Cell has since contributed to several breakthroughs, aiding rescue missions, disrupting criminal networks, and improving the sharing of intelligence among multiple security agencies of Nigeria, according to a progress report presented to the National Assembly of Nigeria in February 2026.

In August 2025, the National Counter Terrorism Centre expanded the operations of this Cell across state commands nationwide. The initiative aims to build a seamless operational bridge between the Fusion Cell and state security structures, according to a circular from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Looking at Technological and Policy Responses Across the Globe

Counter-drone technology grows fast around the world. The technical name is Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems, often shortened to C-UAS. Unmanned means without a human on board, so an unmanned aircraft is another name for a drone, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The solutions divide into two types: kinetic methods using physical force and non-kinetic methods using electronics, according to a comprehensive study by the RAND Corporation. Kinetic comes from a Greek word meaning movement, and in military terms it refers to weapons that destroy things through physical impact.

Kinetic methods include nets that capture drones by firing them from special launchers, wrapping around the drone, and bringing it down with a parachute. They include lasers that burn through drones by focusing intense heat on a small spot. They include missiles that blow drones out of the sky with explosions, as described in a report by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College.

Non-kinetic methods use electronics instead of physical force. Radio frequency jamming sends out signals that interfere with the communication between the drone and its operator, causing the drone to lose contact and either land or return to its starting point, according to a technical paper from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

GPS spoofing feeds false location data to confuse the drone. GPS stands for Global Positioning System, which uses satellites to tell the drone exactly where it is. Spoofing means tricking the drone into thinking it is somewhere else, causing it to fly off course or land in a different location, as explained by Dr. Todd Humphreys of the University of Texas at Austin.

Cyber-takeover attempts to seize control through software. This means hacking into the drone’s computer system and taking command away from the original operator. The defender then flies the drone to a safe location or lands it, according to research published in the Journal of Cyber Policy.

The best systems layer these approaches. Radar detects incoming drones by sending out radio waves that bounce off objects and return to the receiver. Electro-optical sensors identify drones by using cameras and computer software to recognise their shapes. Electronic warfare neutralizes them by jamming or spoofing, according to a product catalogue from Leonardo S.p.A. , a defence technology company.

The Department of Homeland Security of the United States tested such systems along its borders with Mexico and Canada, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. European nations deploy them around critical infrastructure. Critical infrastructure means essential facilities like power stations that generate electricity, airports where planes take off and land, and government buildings where officials work, according to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity.

For Nigeria and its neighbours in ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, cost and complexity raise significant barriers. A fixed-site C-UAS system with all the bells and whistles, meaning a complete system with all available features, can run millions of dollars per unit, according to a market analysis by Frost and Sullivan.

Mobile systems for patrol units cost less but still require significant investment. Technical expertise to operate and maintain them adds another layer of constraint. Constraint means something that limits what you can do, as noted in a 2026 report from the African Union Peace and Security Council.

The alternative involves shooting at drones with rifles. But that method fails most times because drones are small, fast, and hard to hit. The bullets must come down somewhere after missing their target or passing through the drone. Falling rounds kill civilians and kill friendly forces, according to a study by the Small Arms Survey.

Expert Recommendations for Countering the Drone Threat

West African armies need to carry out preemptive strikes to destroy drone assembly and launch sites, according to a recommendation from the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Preemptive means acting before the enemy can act, striking first to prevent an attack. Assembly sites are places where drones are put together and modified. Launch sites are locations from which drones are flown.

They also need to acquire more counter-drone technology, including jamming devices and air defence systems, according to a 2026 report from the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel. Jamming devices disrupt the signals that control drones. Air defence systems are weapons designed to destroy aircraft, including drones, that enter protected airspace.

Otherwise, the jihadists could enhance their drone warfare capabilities and carry out high-impact assaults that could worsen instability in West Africa, according to a warning from International Crisis Group. High-impact assaults are attacks that cause significant damage, many casualties, or major strategic effects.

African states should adopt a Turkish model for countering drone threats from non-state armed groups, according to a policy paper from the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Non-state armed groups means organisations that are not governments but have weapons and fight, like insurgents and terrorists.

The Turkish model involves reducing reliance on imported, pre-made drone technologies and investing in state-backed research, development, and local production, according to a case study by the Stimson Center. Turkey built its drone industry by funding local companies, most notably Baykar Technologies, which now produces world-class drones used in multiple conflicts.

Nigeria and other African countries have a growing number of start-ups developing drone and autonomous systems. Autonomous means able to operate without human control, making decisions based on programming and sensors, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Examples of Nigerian tech start-ups include Briech UAS and Terra Industries, as profiled by TechCabal.

Terra Industries has reportedly raised £8.6 million through an entity linked to Palantir Technologies, according to filings with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria. Palantir is an American company that specialises in data analysis software for governments and militaries. This investment shows that international capital sees potential in Nigerian drone technology.

These firms should be supported through targeted state funding, as Turkey did with Baykar Technologies, according to a recommendation from the Nigerian Economic Summit Group. Targeted state funding means government money given specifically to companies working on strategic priorities. Stable state-funded support would allow companies to spend less time chasing finance and more time on research, testing, and production.

If Nigeria treats drone and autonomous weapons systems as a strategic national security priority, it should invest directly in several local firms as part of a wider defence-industrial policy, according to a 2025 white paper from the Nigerian Ministry of Defence. Defence-industrial policy means government strategy for building domestic industries that produce military equipment.

Protecting lives and property is a core duty of the state. Investing in local drone technology serves this duty by providing better tools for security forces while also building Nigerian industrial capacity, as argued by Dr. Oshita Oshita, Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Recommendation: Enhancing Existing Structures for Drone Coordination

The size of this problem calls for a systemic response, meaning a response that addresses the whole system rather than just individual parts. But action can start with focused steps building on what already exists, according to security sector reform expert Dr. Chris Kwaja of the Centre for Democracy and Development.

This analyst recommends that the government of Nigeria consider enhancing the mandate of existing fusion cell structures to include drone incident coordination. Mandate means official instruction or authority to do something. Enhancing the mandate means giving additional responsibilities to organisations that already exist.

The Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell demonstrates how real-time intelligence and operational readiness can be effectively coordinated across state commands, according to a progress report presented to the National Assembly of Nigeria. Real-time intelligence means information that is available immediately, as events happen, not hours or days later. Operational readiness means being prepared to act at a moment’s notice.

A similar model applied to drone incidents could create the common operating picture that security forces desperately need, according to a concept paper from the Nigerian Army Headquarters. Common operating picture means all relevant agencies see the same information at the same time, reducing confusion and enabling coordinated action.

Under such a model, every sighting by a soldier would enter a central database. Every report from a border community would enter. Every intercepted signal, meaning any communication or drone transmission detected by monitoring equipment, would enter.

The response would move from anecdotal to analytical. Anecdotal means based on individual stories and isolated reports. Analytical means based on systematic examination of patterns and data, as explained in a guide published by the National Intelligence Agency.

Patterns would emerge that individual units cannot see on their own. Common launch sites would become visible. Frequent flight corridors, meaning the routes drones typically follow, would appear. Times of activity would cluster together, showing when attacks are most likely.

This intelligence would become the foundation for effective counter-operations. It tells commanders where to deploy limited counter-drone assets for maximum effect. It provides evidence for requests regarding budgets. It guides talks on regional cooperation with hard data, according to a simulation exercise conducted by the Defence Intelligence Agency.

The cost of enhanced coordination amounts to a fraction of a major weapons system. The potential to disrupt the new drone warfare carries serious strategic weight. Strategic weight means importance to the overall security situation, not just tactical advantage in individual incidents.

Looking at the Path Ahead: Autonomous Swarms and What Comes Next

The technology available to insurgents will keep advancing. Ukraine has shown how access to cheap FPV drones can narrow the advantage held by better-equipped state forces, according to a report from the Royal United Services Institute. Narrow the advantage means reduce the gap between weak and strong forces, making the weaker side more competitive.

A similar pattern could emerge in Nigeria unless the armed forces adapt quickly to the spread of drone-enabled insurgency, according to a warning from General Lucky Irabor (retired), former Chief of Defence Staff, speaking at a security conference in Abuja. Drone-enabled insurgency means insurgent groups that use drones as a central part of their operations, not just as an occasional tool.

The next horizon involves autonomous drone swarms with multiple drones operating together, according to a report from the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. Autonomous means the drones make decisions without human input. Swarms means many drones working as a coordinated group, like a flock of birds or school of fish.

Open-source software for basic swarm coordination already exists online, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Open-source software is computer code that anyone can view, modify, and use for free. While current operations of insurgents probably lack this capability, the direction points toward more complex systems.

First-person view racing drones present an immediate concern. An FPV drone is a low-cost quadcopter operated with goggles and a handheld controller. It can carry light explosives and be guided to a target to detonate on impact. Most small FPV drones can carry about 1.5 kilograms of explosives and travel at about 37 miles per hour, which is roughly 60 kilometres per hour, according to specifications published by drone manufacturers.

For security along the borders of Nigeria, the future demands a new way of thinking about the border itself. The border no longer functions as a line on the ground that can be watched by soldiers with binoculars and patrolled by vehicles, according to a concept paper from the Nigerian Army School of Infantry.

The border exists as a three-dimensional volume of airspace requiring monitoring and control. Three-dimensional means it has height as well as length and width. The airspace above the border must be watched just as carefully as the ground itself, according to air power expert Dr. Olumide Ojo of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

This demands investment in a sensor layer comprising a network of radar, acoustic, and radio frequency sensors along vulnerable border segments, according to a technical recommendation from Thales Group Nigeria. Radar sensors detect objects by bouncing radio waves off them. Acoustic sensors listen for the distinctive sound of drone motors and propellers. Radio frequency sensors detect the signals used to control drones.

It requires equipping patrol units at the border with portable devices for drone detection and mitigation, according to a procurement proposal submitted to the National Assembly of Nigeria. Mitigation means reducing the harm something can cause, so drone mitigation means stopping drones from completing their missions.

It requires training programmes for security personnel on identification of drones and protocols for reporting, according to a curriculum developed by the Clearing House for Security Sector Governance. Identification means recognising different types of drones and their capabilities. Protocols are standard procedures to follow when drones are spotted.

The response of the Nigerian military to the emerging drone-enabled insurgency will determine how insecurity will deteriorate in the country, according to Dr. Freedom C. Onuoha of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Deteriorate means become worse over time. Without rapid investment in counter-drone capabilities and stronger intelligence, Nigeria risks losing operational advantage in its counter-insurgency campaign.

The rise of drone use by insurgents represents technological disruption in warfare. The state once held an absolute monopoly on capability for aerial surveillance and strike, according to a historical analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Monopoly means exclusive control, with no one else able to do the same thing.

A consumer gadget broke that monopoly. A gadget that costs less than a Bajaj motorcycle, available in any electronics market, now gives insurgents capabilities that once belonged only to air forces, as noted in a commentary by Bloomberg Opinion.

The response demands innovation in technology, agility in policy, and urgency in cooperation. Innovation means developing new and better solutions. Agility means being able to adapt quickly as circumstances change. Urgency means treating the threat with the seriousness it deserves, acting now rather than waiting, according to a communiqué from the ECOWAS Heads of State Summit held in February 2026.

The security of the borders of Nigeria now depends on winning a contest fought not only on the ground but in the low-altitude skies above it. The outcome of this contest will determine the safety of millions of Nigerians living in border communities and the stability of the entire West African region, according to a report from the United Nations Development Programme.