The Nigerian Army and their counterparts in Chad, Niger, and other neighbouring countries have commenced joint patrols to contain cross-border threats posed by the Lakurawa terrorist group.
The collaborative effort aims to restrict the movement of the group, which has been linked to heinous criminal activities in the northern part of Nigeria and its neighbours.
This was as the Sokoto State Government expressed frustration over the difficulty of containing the group due to its weak borders.
The Lakurawa group, affiliated with terrorists in the Sahel, particularly from Mali and Niger Republic, became a national security challenge after launching its first audacious attack on November 4.
Last month, it wasreported that the new terror group set up camps in 10 Local Government Areas of Sokoto and Bauchi states before its operations became known to the public three weeks ago.
According to sources, members of the terror group initially established camps in villages bordering Nigeria and Niger Republic, including Gwanaguano, Mulawa, Wassinya, and Turigaic communities.
They eventually infiltrated Nigeria and set up camps in different communities, especially in Gudu and Tangaza LGAs of Sokoto in 2018.
The PUNCH learnt that they use Hausa, Fulfulde and Arabic languages in their preaching while they named their camp Dar-ul-Islam.
“Their ages are between 18 and 50 years. They have been attacking villages in Gudu, Tangaza, Illela, and other local governments to collect taxes, though they did not kill anyone until the recent Mera attack.
“They will count the number of cattle in their custody and calculate the tax based on the percentage which they will take from the cattle,” a community leader in Tangaza LG said.
A researcher with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr Murtala Rufa’i, said the group had been planning to establish its caliphate for over 25 years.
He disclosed that the group had between 1,500 and 1,800 followers, including clerics and youths in the Tangaza and Gudu axis, the ancestral home of the Lakurawa leaders.
Rufa’i said the group was dislodged by combined security agents around 2020, but later regrouped in December 2023.
Lakurawa, according to the don, is a Mali-based group known in the Sahel as Jama’atu Muslimina, with members cutting across different tribes and sects.
He identified the leader of the group as Ahmadu Kofa, whose ancestors were originally Nigerians from a community called Kofa under the old Kebbi Empire.
Rufa’i said, “He is from Kofa. He has siblings like Ibrahim Kofa, Umar Kofa. They are presently in Mali, but their ancestors were Nigerians, from the Kebbi Empire.
“Their parents and grandparents like Umar Kofa and Sa’idu Kofa had all acquired their religious knowledge in a place called Balle, the present headquarters of Gudu LGA of Sokoto.”
He noted that the group lured locals with money, farm inputs, and pumping machines, adding that some of the people joined Lakurawa because of hunger.
In November, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters confirmed the emergence of the Lakurawa sect, operating primarily in Sokoto and Kebbi states.
This is after the group reportedly infiltrated northern Nigeria from Niger Republic and Mali, with their activities intensifying after the coup in Niger.
The group carried out its first major attack in Kebbi State, killing 17 residents and stealing dozens of cattle in the Mera community. Since then, they have continued to wreak havoc in the region.
On December 5, the Zamfara State Police Command Commissioner, Muhammed Dalijan, disclosed that members of the group were responsible for the recent explosion in the state.
Dalijan explained that the terrorists, while fleeing a military onslaught, planted a bomb under a bridge in the Birnin-Gwari forest. Tragically, the device detonated when a driver unknowingly drove over it.
“This Lakurawa, when they were dislodged by the Army in Sokoto and Kebbi, the rest of them who survived the military onslaught were trying to find new enclaves.
“As they were passing that village to Birnin-Gwari forest, they planted a bomb under a bridge. Then a motorist was passing and stepped on it. It exploded and killed the driver, and three other people were injured,” he said.
In response to the escalating threat, the Federal Government has planned to deploy additional military personnel to affected areas.
However, the terrorists, it was gathered, had exploited Nigeria’s porous borders to evade capture.
Speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents on the measures by the military to beef up the nation’s border, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, on Sunday, said the joint patrols would help block the loopholes that led to the penetration of the new sect.
He said, “Yes, we have commenced joint patrols with neighbouring countries to block the gaps that enable their penetration.”
Meanwhile, a senior military personnel in the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto also confirmed the security strategy, stating that troops from the division had established a temporary camp in some of the areas affected by Lakurawa.
The military officer stated, “I am sure you know there is peace in those areas previously controlled by Lakurawa in the state, so that tells you that we are in control.”
He added that the Nigerian Army would ensure the state, especially those in Lakurawa-controlled areas, was secured.
Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the unending security challenges facing Sokoto State and its environment have been linked to several porous borders between the state and neighbouring Niger Republic.
A security expert in the state, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, confirmed that most of the insecure community in Sokoto shared border with either another state or country.
He said the porous border was one of the major reasons behind the rising and unending insecurity affecting the state.
“You see, the issue of Lakurawa and other security issues in our state have worsened due to the borders that are not secured.
“If you go to places like Illela, Gudu, Tangaza, and Gada, among others, they share borders with either the Niger Republic or other states. The strength of security personnel in the state cannot secure these border communities, which is why the problem keeps increasing.
“Our appeal is not just to the Nigerian Army or police to secure the borders but also to the newly established Sokoto Community Guard Corps to ensure there’s adequate security in these border communities. The local security guards must rise to expectations and contribute their quota to the affected areas.”
When contacted, the Special Adviser on Security matters to the Sokoto State Governor, Col. Ahmed Usman (retd.), said the state was doing everything possible to ensure peace returned to the troubled communities.
He said, “I can assure you that these Lakurawa guys have been dealt with; kudos to the troops of the Nigerian Army who have been doing a wonderful job.
“On the issue of fear, that is a constant thing especially for those people in those affected communities but with the report we are seeing now, we can see improvement.”
Speaking on the issue of porous borders, the retired military personnel confirmed it was part of the contributing factor, but assured that the security personnel were working on the issue.
Also, the district head of Gagi community, Alhaji Sani Umar Jabi, said the border had contributed in no small way to the issue of insecurity for long.
He advised the government, especially the Federal Government, to find a way to ensure the safety of all the land borders in the state.
He also commended security agents for their efforts in ensuring a peaceful atmosphere in the state. – Punch.
