Troops launch manhunt as Lukarawa intensifies killings in Sokoto, Kebbi
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, visited the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto on Sunday as part of efforts to combat the new terror group, Lukarawa.
Olukoyede ordered the troops to crush the new terror group which was reportedly inducing youths in the state into its fold.
The Defence Headquarters had last week identified Lukarawa as a new terror group operating in Kebbi and Sokoto States.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, said the terror group is affiliated with jihadi factions in Mali and Niger, raising security concerns in the northwestern region of the country.
“The emergence of the group is linked to political instability in Mali and Niger, which has fuelled 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.
Speaking with newsmen in the Masallaci community in the Tangaza Local Government Area, Oluyede called on the residents of the community to always give accurate and timely information to the troops to help 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 stated.
Speaking further, he stated, “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 learnt that the acting COAS visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and other relevant stakeholders in the state and also held talks with troops of Operation FASAN YANMA in order to motivate them.
Oluyede also visited troops in the Illela Local Government Area of the state where he held meetings with officers of the battalion in the state.
He also met with other security agents and emphasised the need to collaborate.
In a move to dislodge the terrorists, the Nigerian Army has deployed troops of Operation Fasan Yamma in Sokoto and Kebbi States.
A source in the 8 Division, NA, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the operation, explained that a signal from the headquarters had been received directing the troops to mobilise to the troubled area for clearance operations.
The source said the leadership of the military was working to ensure every part of the northwest was safe.
“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.
A source in Tangaza LGA confirmed that the terror group had been in the area for over 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.”
The then caretaker Chairman of Tangaza local council, Maidamma Yari, had reportedly dismissed the allegation while admitting that some persons who arrived at the council from Niger Republic had helped push back the bandits operating in the area.
Yari debunked the report of the appearance of a new terror group in the local government.
“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.
Though the state police command promised to brief the media after investigating the sect, no information was released to the public.
A resident of Tangaza, Usman Alfadari, affirmed that the terror group had been operating in the area for over six years.
Speaking further, 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. 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.”
Mahmud Tangaza, another resident, said, “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 source clarified that the group used to clash with the bandits operating in the area.
“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,” the worried resident said.
Meanwhile, the Lakurawa sect reportedly offers up to N1m to entice young men into their fold.
The group allegedly comprises personnel from Mali, Chad, Libya, Niger and Burkina Faso who are actively recruiting local youths in Sokoto through financial inducement.
A report by a counter-insurgency expert in Lake Chad, Zagazola Makama said the new terror group has been offering youths in Sokoto N1m to join its fold.
In a post on X on Saturday, Makama said the financial inducement was part of the group’s strategy to entice the youths 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 stated.
Meanwhile, the group on Friday killed 15 locals in the Mera community in the Augie LGA of Kebbi State.
However, two members of the sect lost their lives during the incident.
The incident reportedly started when the terror group stormed the town and made away with cattle belonging to some residents.
A resident, Alhaji Bashir Mera, said the Lakurawas attacked the people shortly before the Juma’at prayer and made away with at least 100 cattle.
“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,” he said.
He added that the terror group was only interested in extorting the residents until lately when they turned violent.
“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.
Reacting to the incident, the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, while condoling the people of the community over their loss, assured that the government would do everything possible to ensure peace in every part of the state.
In a statement on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, the governor assured that his administration is doing everything possible through the security agencies to bring an end to criminality across the state.
He appealed to the people of the state to continue to cooperate with the security agencies by giving them credible information.
Also reacting to the killings, the Kebbi State police command, said it has set up a joint security team to uproot the group from the state.
The spokesman for the command, Nafiu Abubakar, disclosed that the state Commissioner of Police set up a joint security team on getting the reports of the attack.
The Sokoto State Police Command also confirmed the presence of the Islamic group in five local government areas of the state.
The command’s spokesman, Ahmed Rufai, revealed that the Lakarawa has been operating in Gudu, Tangaza, Binji, Illeila, and other areas of the state.
“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 stated.
However, in a reprisal attack following the killing of 15 persons in Mera by Lakurawa, a local security outfit named Yan sa Kai has killed at least six Fulanis who they suspected had a hand in Friday’s killings.
Kebbi command spokesman, Nafiu Abubakar, who confirmed the attack, said the attack was being investigated by the police
“We aware the six suspected gun-wielding herders were reportedly killed by local security guards in Mera town.”
However, an indigene of Mera, Bashir Isah Mera, added that another two bodies belonging to the people of Mera were recovered after the attack.
According to him the recent discovery of two bodies raised the death toll to 17 against the earlier 15 that were buried on Saturday amid tears.
Also, the state government confirmed the presence of the group in parts of the state.
The Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Idris Gobir, described the group as a faith-based idealist.
Speaking while receiving the participants of course 33 of the National Defence College, Abuja, who were on a study tour of the state, he said, “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.”
Worried by the activities of the new terrorist group, the Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, sent a powerful delegation to complain to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.
The governor, who expressed dismay over the group’s attack which resulted in the death of 15 persons, sympathized with the family of the victims, the people of Augie, Argungu Emirate and the state at large.
He promised the readiness of his administration to continue to partner with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies towards protecting the lives and property of the people of the state.
The delegation was led by the former Governor of Kebbi State and Minister of Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu in the company of Sen. Bala Ibn Na’Allah, the Aall Progressives Congress National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Suleiman Argungu and a former Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of the state, Nasiru Junju.
The minister told the CDS that the visit was intimate him about the need for immediate action to bring an end to the security challenge facing Kebbi State and the country at large.
He thanked the military and other security agencies for supporting the state in addressing the security challenges confronting it.
Responding, the CDS assured the delegation of the readiness of the military to address the security challenge in Kebbi State.
He pledged to collaborate with other security agencies in safeguarding the state.
In pursuit of its goal of eliminating all security threats in the North-West, the Nigerian Air Force has neutralised several terrorists in Kebbi and Zamfara States in separate air operations.
The NAF also reported the destruction of strongholds belonging to many notorious bandit warlords.
In a statement on Sunday, NAF spokesperson, Olusola Akinboyewa, highlighted that the hideout of terrorist kingpin, Ado Aleiro, was among those targeted, noting that many of Aleiro’s fighters were killed during the operations.
Akinboyewa said, “The first wave of strikes was launched following confirmed intelligence regarding increased terrorist activities in the areas.
“On November 8, 2024, using advanced surveillance and precision targeting, NAF assets executed a surprise aerial assault on multiple camps, including the strategic Sangeko location in Zamfara, near the Kebbi border, and Ado Aleiro’s heavily fortified enclave around Asola Hill in Tsafe Local Government Area.
“The strikes not only obliterated a major arms depot belonging to the infamous bandit leader, Ado Aleiro, but also neutralised many of his fighters. The precision bombardment sent shockwaves through the criminal networks, severely weakening their operational capabilities.”
Akinboyewa also confirmed that several kidnapped victims held by bandits escaped during the operations.
He said, “Intelligence reports and Battle Damage Assessments confirmed the overwhelming impact of the strikes, which continued throughout the night. Several kidnapped victims, previously held captive by the bandits, managed to escape amidst the chaos, making their way to safety in Kebbi State.
“Some of the victims who escaped provided testimonies detailing their daring flight to freedom. The air campaign has not only struck fear into the hearts of the bandits but has also provided a sense of hope and assurance for residents who have long suffered under the threat of banditry.
“These operations highlight the NAF’s increasing agility and resilience, reaffirming the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s relentless dedication to restoring peace and security across the nation. Further updates on Operation Farautar Mujiya will be provided in the coming days,” he noted.
Worried by the activities of the Lukarawa, the Arewa Consultative Forum has admonished the government to take immediate and decisive action against the group.
The ACF considers the emergence of Lakurawa as very dangerous and alarming, the National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said in a statement in Kaduna on Sunday.
According to the Forum, the emergence of the Lakurawa brings into sharp focus the need for a comprehensive and thorough reappraisal of Nigeria’s national security strategies and tactics.
“Lakurawa, at this incipient stage of its emergence, must not be tolerated or allowed to entrench itself in our communities through benign neglect and/or kid-glove treatment as was the case with Boko Haram insurgency, farmer-herder clashes and banditry in the Northeast, Northcentral and Northwest areas, respectively.
“This is the moment for our security agencies to move fast, and urgently too, to subjugate and decapitate the Lakurawa terror gang with all the human and material arsenals at their disposal, without hesitation.
“We must leave no one in doubt about the national resolve to deal decisively with any threats to Nigeria’s peace and stability,” Muhammad-Baba added.
The Northern body also called on the authorities to “enhance intelligence gathering, processing, and utilization to track and disrupt Lakurawa’s activities, engage local traditional and religious leaders, hunters, vigilante outfits, and community influentials in security operations.”
“Revitalise and reinforce the Multi-National Joint Task Force arrangement with neighbouring countries, particularly Niger Republic and train citizens in early warning and response strategies and mobilize communities to support national security agencies,” the ACF stated.
