The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the emergence of a new terror group, ‘Lukarawas,’ which is causing further insecurity in northwestern Nigeria. During a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Major-General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, detailed the threat posed by the group, which originated from the Republic of Niger following a recent military coup.
According to Buba, the Lukarawas group began moving into Nigeria through the northern regions of Sokoto and Kebbi states, exploiting weakened border security after the breakdown of military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger. The coup in Niger disrupted joint border patrols that had previously helped control terrorist activities in the region.
“The terrorists exploited gaps in cooperation and used difficult terrains to infiltrate remote areas of the northwest, spreading their ideology,” Buba explained.
He further noted that local communities initially welcomed the group, mistakenly believing they had positive intentions, and did not immediately alert security forces. However, DHQ assures that the Nigerian military has intensified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations to contain and eliminate the threat.
The new terror group has leveraged the region’s vast under-governed spaces, hiding from military presence while reportedly harassing local residents. Despite these challenges, troops are actively tracking down Lukarawas members to prevent further destabilization in the northwest.
Leave a Reply