The Nigerian military has confirmed the presence of a new terrorist group known as ‘Lukarawas’ in Sokoto and Kebbi states.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, confirmed the situation while briefing the press on Thursday in Abuja.
The development followed the Sokoto government’s alarm about a foreign-based armed religious group, Lakurawa, luring its youths with N1m for membership.
On Tuesday, NewsNGR reported that the Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto Alhaji Isa Kalenjeni revealed how the group occupied some of the forests across five LGAs of the state.
Explaining how the terrorists found their way to Sokoto and Kebbi, Buba said they emerged from the Republic of Niger after the coup that led to the breakdown of military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger.
He said the terrorists began to invade the states from the Niger Republic and Mali axis, despite previous joint border operations with Nigerien security forces that kept the terrorists at bay before the coup.
“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 said.
Buba further noted that the group was accommodated by the locals, who initially thought the group meant well for them, however, failed to report the movement to the military and security agencies.
He, however, gave assurance that troops had sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to degrade the terrorists, insisting that their end was near.
He added, “The terror group had continued to take advantage of the vast under-governed or ungoverned areas to hide and evade troops as well as harass the locals. Troops are locating them and eliminating the threat.”