Nigeria, Jan. 30 -- Russia is selling a 'security now, ask questions later' bargain across the Sahel. In Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, military juntas pushed out long-standing Western partners and leaned into Moscow's muscle through Wagner, then its state-run successor, Africa Corps, as a shortcut out of chaos. Years later, the violence is worse. The civic space has shrunk, civilian protection has collapsed, leverage over national assets has quietly shifted outward, and these states have become more exposed and dependent. Nigeria must pay attention.

Battered by coups and jihadist violence, and worn down by Western partners who promised stability and delivered stalemate, states in the Sahel have traded autonomy for expedience. The mechan...