FILE - Three men seated on the ground, identified by police officers as kidnappers of Bethel Baptist High School students, in Abuja, Nigeria. Sept 23, 2021 -

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Nigeria

Nigeria is expanding military cooperation with Benin and Niger to ward off jihadist groups from the Sahel trying to enter its northwest.

A new tri-border military sector is being created to secure the Nigeria-Benin-Niger border, Nigeria’s defense minister said on Thursday.

The plan is a "work in progress," Christopher Musa said, without giving a definite timeline.

He also said he plans to visit Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in the coming months, all governed by military rulers that have broken with the regional west African bloc ECOWAS and formed their own Alliance of Sahel States.

"Politically, there is always that issue, but militarily, we have been able to go beyond that," Musa said of relations with Niger, adding that authorities in Niamey know "how important it is not to allow any gaps to exist."

Regional jihadist threats are growing as Al Qaeda- and Islamic State-linked groups infiltrate Nigeria’s northwest through Burkina Faso and Benin.

Nigeria has been battling homegrown militants since 2009. But the conflict is being reshaped by the growing presence of armed groups from the wider region.

Long-confined to the northeast, militants appear to be shifting within the country, with a recent school kidnapping the southwest blamed on jihadists.

Nigeria is already cooperating with other security partners. US strikes have targeted militants, and Beninese forces and militias have operated in or alongside Nigeria with approval.

Abuja is concerned that rising insecurity could threaten voter turnout in January's presidential election, particularly in conflict-affected areas.

Nigeria plans to work with Benin and Niger to stop security problems

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