The emergence of a new terrorist group, Lakurawa, in the North-West, may worsen the insecurity in the region. With Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements in the region, the addition of Lakurawa group gives cause for concern. The Federal Government should rise to the occasion and crush the group. Available security information shows that the group infiltrated from the Republic of Niger after the recent coup, which disrupted military cooperation between Nigeria and that country.
According to Defence Headquarters (DHQ), the joint border operations with Nigerien security forces, previously in place before the coup, had kept the terrorists at bay. The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and made incursions into remote areas in some North-Western states to spread their ideology.
Lakurawa group was initially invited by local leaders in Gudu and Tangaza Local Government Areas of Sokoto State in 2018 to address the growing threats by bandits from Zamfara State. Over time, they started imposing their brand of worship on the residents and began to exert tolls from them. Its activities have worsened regional security concerns, with a recent attack in Mera village, Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State, claiming 15 lives.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has decried the emergence of the group and urged the security agencies to take swift and decisive action to eliminate the group, before it gains a foothold in the country. “The emergence of this group is both dangerous and alarming, indicating a further escalation in the devastating insecurity affecting the North West, now considered Nigeria’s epicenter of terrorism”, ACF stated.
The government should be worried about the emergence of the Lakurawa group, which is similar to the advent of the Boko Haram sect. When Boko Haram commenced in 2009, it took off as an innocuous organization but later became a monster that is currently ranked as one of the deadliest terror organisations in the world.
Lakurawa should not be allowed to assume such a dangerous dimension before the authorities begin to act. No efforts should be spared in crushing the group now before it becomes more deadly like Boko Haram. The government should stop non-state actors from controlling any part of the country, levying taxes on the citizens and enforcing their own laws. They must be denied access to arms and ammunition. Allowing the group to operate will threaten the nation’s sovereignty. This is the time for the military to tackle the menace headlong.
It is heartwarming that the Nigerian Army has deployed troops of Operation Fasan Yamma in Sokoto and Kebbi states in a move to dislodge the terrorists. The promise by the National Coordinator, National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, that there is nothing to worry about Lakurawa, considering its membership strength, estimated at less than two hundred, is also encouraging. It is also reassuring that the military and other security agencies under the coordination of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, are on top of the situation and will ensure that the group is crushed.
Lakurawa is a present danger that will not be allowed to fester. The government should not treat the group with kid gloves. Let the military act early enough before the group widens its murderous march. Let the security agencies work in concert, especially in intelligence gathering and sharing to decimate the terrorist group.
There is also the need to strengthen the country’s border security measures to prevent infiltration of criminal elements from neighboring countries. Statistics indicate that Nigeria has large stretch of porous and poorly policed borders, leaving people to infiltrate into the country unchecked. A 2018 data from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) showed that there were about 1,500 identified land border crossings into Nigeria, with only 114, covering 4,000 square kilometers with approved control posts manned by merely 23,000 Immigration Officials and other security agencies. Tightening the borders will drastically reduce the infiltration of the terrorists. The Police should rise up to their responsibilities in this respect.
Checking the infiltration of Lakurawa group requires a regional approach. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Treaty on Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Establishment, should not be used to allow people with questionable characters entry into the country.
Good enough, Article 7 (1c) of the treaty states that countries have the right to refuse entry for persons whom their local laws forbid from entering. Nigeria should enforce this principle. Apart from policing the borders, the government should tackle growing hunger, unemployment, disunity, marginalization and bad governance, which are triggers of insecurity.