Lukarawa: COAS orders troop to combat terror group

The acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, ordered troops to crush new terror group, Lukarawa, during his visit to the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto on Sunday.

According to reports, the new terror group was recruiting young people in the state.

Last week, the Defense Headquarters was recognized by Lukarawa as a new terrorist organization operating in Sokoto and Kebbi states.

According to the Director of Defense Media Operations,  Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, the terror group has ties to Islamist groups in Niger and Mali.

He opined that this is causing security issues in the  northwest region of the country.

“The emergence of the group is linked to political instability in Mali and Niger, which has fueled the spread of extremist elements into Nigeria.

“He explained that this group is a direct fallout of the political instability in these neighbouring countries”, he said.

In an interview with newsmen in Masallaci hamlet of Tangaza local government area, Lt. Gen. Oluyede urged the locals to always provide the troops with timely and accurate information so that they can aid them in the fight against insecurity.

“I am here to assess my troops.

“You see, there will always be challenges.

“The issue is how we react to these challenges.

“One of the reasons I am here is to charge up my soldiers to rise to the challenge, and that we shall do.

“My charge to the community people is for them to support us.

“If we don’t get their support we can’t succeed.

“And if we don’t succeed that means the country won’t be secured.

“We need the support of Nigerians so that we can have economic prosperity in the country”, Oluyede added.

Further, he disclosed: “I am here to see my soldiers to assess their state of readiness and to charge them to continue to do what they have been doing best to secure the country in general”.

It was gathered that the acting COAS visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and other important stakeholders in the state.

He also spoke with Operation FASAN YANMA troops to inspire them.

Oluyede paid troops a visit in the state’s Illela local government area.

Over there, he reportedly met with battalion officers in the state.

Additionally, he met with other security personnel and emphasized the importance of cooperation.

Nigerian Army sends troops to Sokoto and Kebbi States…

In an effort to drive out the terrorists, the Nigerian Army has sent troops from Operation Fasan Yamma to Sokoto and Kebbi States.

An anonymous source in the 8 Division, NA, stated that the troops had received a signal from headquarters instructing them to mobilize to the difficult region for clearance operations.

The source also disclosed that military leadership was striving to guarantee the safety of every area in the northwest.

“Yes, we are on top of the situation, I can confirm to you that troops have been mobilised to the troubled Local Government Areas in Sokoto and Kebbi states to restore peace and order.

“We are very determined to dislodge the Lukarawa from our land and back to wherever they came from,” the officer assured.

Sources attests to insurgencies…

A source in Tangaza LGA confirmed that the terror group had been in the region for more than six years.

He said: “In November 2018, residents of the communities in Tangaza and Gudu Local Government Areas of Sokoto state raised the alarm over the presence of strange terror groups in their communities.

“The residents of the two local government areas had alleged that the terror group who we learnt came from Mali  were flogging residents, imposing levies and taxes and preaching to the members of the communities”.

According to reports, Maidamma Yari, the interim chairman of the Tangaza local council at the time, denied the accusation but acknowledged that some of the people who came to the council from the Niger Republic had assisted in driving out the local bandits.

The claim that a new terrorist organization had emerged in the local administration was refuted by Yari.

“Some strange persons from the Niger Republic arrived at the local government a few weeks ago and their coming has helped in pushing back kidnappers who attempted to come into the local government from Zamfara State”, he noted.

No information was made public, despite the state police command’s pledge to notify the media following its investigation into the cult.

A Tangaza local, Usman Alfadari, confirmed that the terrorist organization has been active in the region for more than six years.

Moreso, he stated: “For over two years now, if they entered the bush and met anyone rearing cattle, they would demand to see the owner of the cattle, and ask if the person is a cattle rustler or owner.

“They would then demand tax or zakat.

“Also, if they come to the mosque in any town, if the imam displeased them, they will bring him out and flog him.

“Even during the Juma’at prayers, if they go to a mosque and realized the imam did not commence the Friday sermon on time, they would flog him and thereafter direct him to carry out the sermon and prayer.

“Before now, they made their camp far away from the town but recently, they have started getting closer to the main town.

“In fact, the camp is just about 6km away from Gidan Madi here in Tangaza.

“They are also in Binji, Silame, Gudu local governments.

“They are more present in Gudu local government than any other place; they attacked and killed four soldiers there sometime ago,” he added.

He went on: “They even went away with a security vehicle one time after dislodging them.

“They also came to Gongoro village in Tangaza LGA where they launched an attack, but thank God for the people of the community who engaged them and in the process killed four of them”.

Another resident, Mahmud Tangaza stated: “They are in Tangaza, Gudu, Binji, Silame and part of Gwadabawa local government area.

“They never left the environment since around 2018 when they first came but it’s unfortunate that this is the first time the government is taking them seriously.

“They impose tax, especially on cattle and enact laws in accordance with their beliefs and nobody dare argue with them”.

Another undisclosed person explained that the group had previously engaged in combat with the local robbers.

“They used to attack bandits then when they first came here.

“Whenever there is a bandit attack, they go there to confront and chase them away.

“I think that is part of the strategy in gaining the confidence of the people.

“It is, however, surprising now that from the rumours flying in town, these people are now working in tandem with bandits to attack innocent people”, he added.

Lakurawa entices young men with N1 million to join them…

Meanwhile, it is said that the Lakurawa cult entices young men to join them by offering up to N1 million.

According to reports, the gang actively recruits local youths in Sokoto through cash inducement.

This gang is supposedly made up of personnel from Mali, Chad, Libya, Niger, and Burkina Faso, as reported.

A counter-insurgency expert in Lake Chad, Zagazola Makama reported that the new terror group has been recruiting young people from Sokoto.

This was disclosed on Saturday, in a tweet on X.

Makama said that the money incentive was a component of the group’s plan to persuade the young people to join them.

He said: “The new suspected extremist group, identified as “Lakurawa,” is offering as much as one million naira to young men in exchange for their allegiance.

“Impeccable sources told Zagazola Makama that this group, allegedly composed of individuals from Mali, Chad, Libya, Niger, and Burkina Faso are actively recruiting local youths in Sokoto through substantial financial incentives.

“This financial lure, according to witnesses, is part of an aggressive recruitment campaign aimed at attracting followers to their cause.

“Unlike traditional criminal gangs, the Lakurawa are reported to adhere to extremist ideologies linked to the Khawarij sect, similar to the beliefs of Boko Haram.

“Local sources suggest that they employ a combination of financial incentives and ideological influence to gain support among vulnerable communities”.

However, a source claimed the terror group was invited by the local communities to help them dislodge bandits from their locality about six years ago.

“The people of the community invited them to help them tackle the bandits.

“After some time, they started introducing some laws and imposing taxes on their animals which the people found to be against their agreement.

“They later held talks with them after which most of them left and went back to their domains in Mali, Niger and other African countries.

“It is the remaining ones that turn themselves into a terror group”, he added.

15 residents murdered in Mera community…

Meanwhile, the terrorists murdered 15 residents of the Mera community in Kebbi State‘s Augie LGA on Friday.

However, the encounter resulted in the deaths of two sect members.

According to reports, the terror group’s invasion of the town and theft of some locals’ animals marked the beginning of the tragedy.

Alhaji Bashir Mera, a local, claimed that the Lakurawas attacked the populace just before the Juma’at prayer.

He claimed that they stole at least 100 livestock.

“On receiving the news, people of the town mobilised in hundreds and pursued them to the bush in a bid to retrieve the animals and this led to an exchange of gunfire during which 15 people and two members of Lakurawa were killed.

“They don’t kill people but confiscate cows and ask owners to pay Zakat which Muslims pay from their wealth and it has been happening for almost two months.

“This is their first attack that involved killing in our town Mera”, he added.

Governor Nasir Idris, the governor of Kebbi State, responded to the tragedy by expressing his condolences to the community for their loss.

He promised that the government will make every effort to maintain calm throughout the state.

The governor gave assurances that his administration is making every effort through the security services to eradicate crime throughout the state.

This was contained in a statement released on Sunday by his chief press secretary, Ahmed Idris.

He urged the state’s citizens to provide the security services with reliable information in order to maintain their cooperation.

The Kebbi State police command also responded to the killings by announcing that it has formed a combined security force to drive the organization out of the state.

According to command spokesperson Nafiu Abubakar, the state commissioner of police formed a joint security team after learning of the attack.

Additionally, the presence of the Islamic group in five local government areas of the state was confirmed by the Sokoto State Police Command.

The Lakarawa has been operating in Gudu, Tangaza, Binji, Illeila, and other parts of the state, according to Ahmed Rufai, the command’s spokesperson.

“They have been in those areas for some years now, they are armed with weapons and part of their agenda is to impose their kind of religious beliefs on the people.

“They attacked suspected bandits in the areas.

“According to information available to us, they claimed to be working against illegalities”, he said.

However, a local security group called Yan sa Kai has slain at least six Fulanis.

The security group believes they were involved in Friday’s killings in retaliation for Lakurawa’s death of 15 people in Mera.

The spokesperson for the Kebbi command, Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed the attack.

He stated that police were looking into it.

“We aware the six suspected gun-wielding herders were reportedly killed by local security guards in Mera town”.

The group is a faith-based idealist – Sokoto State Deputy Governor

The Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Idris Gobir, described the group as a faith-based idealist.

He reportedly stated: “An assessment carried out indicated that the group possessed sophisticated weapons and their criminal activities were observed in about five local governments areas in the state.

“The sad development was happening at the time when the state was being faced with bandit activities.

“As the threat was expanding, the security authorities were working assiduously to address the emerging threat.

“The state government has been working closely with federal security agencies to address numerous security threats to lives and properties of the people of the state”.

Concerned about the new terrorist organization’s actions, Dr. Nasir Idris, the governor of Kebbi State, dispatched a strong delegation to voice their grievances to Gen. Christopher Musa, the chief of defense staff.

The governor sympathized with the victims’ families, the residents of Augie, Argungu Emirate, and the state as a whole.

He expressed shock at the group’s attack that claimed 15 lives.

He pledged that his government is prepared to keep working with the Nigerian Army and other security forces to safeguard the lives and property of the state’s citizens.

Sen. Atiku Bagudu, the former governor of Kebbi State and minister of economic planning, led the delegation along with Sen. Bala Ibn Na’Allah, Alhaji Suleiman Argungu, the national organizing secretary of the All Progressives Congress, and Nasiru Junju, the state’s former attorney general and commissioner of justice.

The minister informed the CDS that the visit served as a reminder to him of the urgency with which the security situation in Kebbi State and the nation at large must be resolved.

He expressed gratitude to the military and other security organizations for helping the state deal with its security issues.

In response, the CDS gave the group the assurance that the military was prepared to handle the security issue in Kebbi State.

He promised to work with other security services in order to protect the state.

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