Nigeria’s military has issued a warning about a new insurgent group, Lakurawas, reportedly infiltrating the country’s northwest from neighbouring Niger and Mali.
Defence spokesperson Major-General Edward Buba confirmed on Thursday that the group, linked to militias in the Sahel region, has been active in Sokoto and Kebbi states. The group’s ideology remains unknown, Reuters reported.
“They began an incursion into northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states from the Niger and Mali axis, particularly after the coup in Niger Republic,” Buba said in a statement.
The influx of Lakurawas is tied to the July 2023 coup in Niger, which disrupted joint military patrols along the Nigeria-Niger border. Although patrols have since resumed, the military remains on high alert to prevent further infiltrations, according to Buba.
Nigeria continues to face a persistent insurgency in its northeast, primarily fueled by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The rise of Lakurawas highlights an escalating security threat in Nigeria’s northwest, a region already plagued by armed gangs and kidnappings for ransom. Buba reported that last month, the military killed 163 insurgents, arrested 82 individuals, and rescued at least 80 people from kidnappers in the northwest.
In August, Nigeria and Niger, two West African nations, signed a security agreement to tackle the shared threat they face, following a meeting between the defence chiefs of both countries in Niger’s capital.
The statement by a Nigerian military official reads, “Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to resuming and strengthening collaboration, with a view to ensuring regional stability and security.”
Mali and Niger are members of a regional alliance called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), along with Burkina Faso. This alliance was formed to strengthen security in these countries after their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). However, its impact may not be as strong yet, as the region continues to face significant security challenges.
