Nigerian Defence Headquarters has confirmed the presence of a new terrorist group, ‘Lukarawas,’ that has started infiltrating the Northwest region, intensifying the insecurity already faced by local residents.
This was disclosed by Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, 7th November 2024.
Maj.-Gen. Buba explained that the ‘Lukarawas’ group began operating in northern Nigeria following the recent political instability in the Republic of Niger.
The coup in Niger led to a breakdown of security cooperation between Nigerian and Nigerien forces, allowing the Lukarawas group to exploit border weaknesses.
“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.
According to him, these incursions have primarily impacted northern Sokoto and Kebbi states, where the group entered from the Niger Republic and Mali axis.
Unintended support by locals
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.
In response to this Buba noted that the Nigerian military has intensified Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations to locate and neutralize the group’s members.
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.
What you should know
- On July 26, 2023, a military coup took place in Niger when factions of the armed forces declared they had taken control and suspended the constitution.
- The coup began after President Mohamed Bazoum’s plan to replace the head of the presidential guard, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, led to his arrest by the guard.
- The coup led to the suspension of civilian rule and the establishment of a military junta, the army supported the new junta with military leaders stating their aim was to avoid a deadly confrontation between the competing factions, which could lead to widespread violence.
- Before the coup, Nigeria and Niger had been working closely together to combat terrorism, with joint security operations along their shared border helping to curb militant activities.
- However, the breakdown of this cooperation following the coup has allowed these terror groups to exploit the weakened security, using the remote and difficult terrains along the border to launch incursions into Nigeria.