Abstract: The rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), especially in vulnerable regions such as Africa, has increased the risk of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks from AI-based botnets. This study introduces an adaptive intelligence model that combines LSTM, SOM, and ART models to detect and mitigate such threats in parallel. Evaluated using standard metrics, the model offers a scalable and practical solution for strengthening IoT security against evolving attack strategies.