THE GUARDIAN
The Federal Government has declared Nigeria free of the Lakurawa terror group by the force of the Nigerian military.
The minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, announced this during a press briefing in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Sunday.
“I want to make it clear that we have no Lakurawa in any part of the country, not even in Zamfara or Kebbi State,” Matawalle said.
The minister credited the military’s decisive actions for forcing the group back into Mali, where they originated.
“The Lakurawa terrorists were never firmly established in Nigeria. Their presence here was temporary, and now they’ve been driven out completely,” he said.
Matawalle’s statement counters recent claims by Zamfara State’s Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Shehu Dalijan, who linked Lakurawa to explosive attacks in the region that recently killed several civilians.
The Defence Ministry has classified Lakurawa as an extremist organisation with ties to Mali and Niger-based terror groups. Matawalle, however, insists these affiliations do not indicate a lasting foothold in Nigeria.
“The military has dismantled their networks. We are no longer dealing with Lakurawa on Nigerian soil,” he said.
The group emerged in 2016 in Sokoto State as a militia combating banditry but evolved into a radical sect known for enforcing strict religious laws and recruiting youths with financial incentives.
They have been blamed for violent raids in northwestern states, including a deadly attack in November 2024 in the Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
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