- Collect Zakats From Local Communities
- Police Confirm Insurgent Group Killed 15 People In Kebbi
- Borno, Yobe Have Seen It All – Shehu Sani
The More You Look; The Less You See; as a new and dangerous terror group, Lukarawas, surfaced in Northern Nigeria, increasing the already significant insecurity in the region.
Last week, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters confirmed the group’s presence, revealing it has grown increasingly active in the Northwest, particularly in Sokoto and Kebbi states.]
The Lukarawas group, which had initially been identified as a band of herders in the Marake and Tsauni forests of Sokoto, was believed by locals and authorities to be non-violent for years. But this perception changed dramatically earlier this week when the Defence Headquarters reclassified the group as a terrorist organization linked to jihadists in the Sahel.
Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, explained that the Lukarawas group began operating in northern Nigeria around six years ago, exploiting the political instability following the recent coup in Niger.
“The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and exploited difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some Northwestern states to spread their ideology,” Buba stated.
Buba revealed that local communities initially offered support to the Lukarawas group, mistakenly believing it had peaceful intentions.
“The group was accommodated by the locals who initially thought that the group meant well for them,” he noted. However, this assistance unintentionally facilitated the group’s establishment in these areas.
Buba noted that the Nigerian military has intensified Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations to locate and neutralize the group’s members.
READ ALSO: New Terror Group Takes Control Of Five LGAs In Sokoto, Collecting Zakat, Levies
The Defence Headquarters pointed out that the Lukarawas group is exploiting vast, under-governed territories in Northwest Nigeria to evade detection and engage in activities that threaten local populations.
“The terror group has continued to take advantage of the vast under-governed areas to hide and evade troops as well as harass the locals,” Maj.-Gen. Buba explained.
The Matrix reports that the new terror group seized control over five local government areas in Sokoto State, Collecting Zakat, Levies.
The affected areas include Tangaza, Gada, Illela, Silame, and Binji. Locals report that the group members communicate in multiple languages, including Hausa, Fulani, Tuareg, Kanuri, Tuba, and English.
Nafiu Abubakar, spokesperson for the Kebbi state police command, said the attack occurred around 2 p.m. on Friday.
“The terrorists attacked the village around 2 p.m. on Friday,” Abubakar said, adding that a significant number of cows were also rustled during the assault.
He said Bello Sanni, Kebbi state police commissioner, has mobilised a team of officers to the area “in an attempt to apprehend the perpetrators”.
“Investigations are still ongoing and the findings will be made public,” he added.
The 15 victims were buried on Saturday in a funeral attended by several prominent figures, including Abubakar Tafida, the deputy governor of Kebbi state; Samaila Mera, the Emir of Argungu; and the state’s police commissioner
In response to the growing crisis, former federal lawmaker Senator Shehu Sani expressed deep concern over the emergence of the new terrorist faction in the region.
Sani in a post on his official X handle recalled how Borno and Yobe State have suffered attacks from the Boko Haram insurgents over a decade.
On his part, he stated that the emergence of a new terrorist group at the moment would only expand the theatre of operations, citing the unending battle against terrorism in the region.
He expressed confidence that the nation would overcome the daredevil terrorists.
He wrote, “For a country that has been fighting terrorism in multiple fronts for over one decade, the emergence of a new terrorist group in Sokoto will only expand the theatre of operations.
“There is no evil and cruelty that the people of Borno and Yobe have not seen or experienced for over fifteen years. Our country shall overcome and prevail over them”.
