Lakurawa: Who will save the North from the North? By Bola BOLAWOLE

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A new terrorist organization called Lakurawa has entered the Nigerian space! It operates in the North-west, particularly in the old Sokoto state made up of Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states. In the North-east we have Boko Haram. In North-central and the Middle Belt, we have the murderous Fulani herdsmen while bandits are on rampage in the entire northern landscape. The cycle is now complete!

Not only is the North destroying itself, it is dragging the entire country down with it. Who will save the North from itself? And who will save Nigeria from the North? The humongous amount being poured into the bottomless pit bored by insecurity in the North cannot but impact the livelihood of every Nigerian, regardless of how far removed physically you are from the epicentre of the insecurity cauldron enveloping the North.

For one, it will spiral and spread down south. The terrorists will, no-how no-how, find their way down South. For another, those dislocated by insecurity in the North will have no option other than to stream down South both in search of security as well as means of livelihood. Where do we go from here?

First, let us listen to what some knowledgeable people have to say about the Lakurawa menace.

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“Lakurawa: Once called harmless herders (are) now a deadly terror group in North-West Nigeria. Contrary to official reports, Lakurawa first arrived in the Gudu and Tangaza areas of Sokoto six years ago, following calls for self-help by some members of the communities. About six years ago, locals in the Tangaza and Gudu areas of Sokoto raised an alarm over the suspicious activities of a group of herders operating in the Marake and Tsauni forests. A police investigation at the time concluded that the armed group, known locally as Lakurawa, were merely herders and (were) not violent.

“Although the police suspected the group was heavily armed, they described them as seasonal visitors from the neighbouring Niger Republic. The official narrative by the then police commissioner, Murtala Mani — after engaging with traditional and religious leaders in the affected area – was that the herders had left with their families, cattle, camels, and donkeys. Earlier this week, however, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters declared (that) the so-called herders are ‘a new terror group’ affiliated with jihadists in the Sahel, a region that accounts for sizable chunks of global terrorism deaths.

“The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries (Niger Republic and Nigeria) and exploited the difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some Northwestern states to spread their ideology… Now, the police have claimed that the terrorist group operates in areas like Tangaza, Gudu, Ilela, Binji, and Silame and is believed to have entered the border communities from countries like Niger, Chad, and Mali.

“The terrorists preach in local Hausa and Fulfulde, imposing rules and levies on local communities. Sometimes, they ‘help’ locals fight other terrorist groups operating in their territory to gain absolute control and wider influence… Followers of the sect have a similar pattern of religious separatism with any other radical Islamic movement. The group claims ideological purity and avoids contact with the rest of the society. The Lakurawas use arms to intimidate and harass locals under the pretext of enforcing sharia in the affected areas.

“The Lakurawas were herders who suddenly turned militant in the wake of the Malian crisis. Their presence in the communities along the Nigeria-Niger border in Gudu and Tangaza areas of Sokoto goes beyond the search for food and water for their cattle, which they had been doing for years… Initially, they were seen as a necessary evil, invited by local authorities in the areas to stem the tide of raging violence blowing over their heads.

“For nearly a decade now, the northwestern region has been a haven for rural terrorists (that have) emptied villages and driven farmers from their farms, controlled a thriving kidnap-for-ransom enterprise that has disrupted the livelihood of the largely farming communities and impoverished families across the region.

“In the rural communities of the region where these terrorists hold sway, there is little to no-government presence. And most of the time, they (the people) are left at the mercy of marauding terrorists. Therefore, some traditional authorities in these areas invited the Lakurawa to provide (security)…The Lakurawa requested funds to buy weapons for their newly-recruited members and money was given to them.

“The locals were initially happy with their (Lakurawa’s) coming because of the way they sacked bandits in their communities but their (Lakurawa’s) refusal to consult (local) leaders and hand over recovered cattle as well as the way they (Lakurawa’s) were forcing people to give out animals as Zakat, which they (Lakurawa’s) took to their countries, made (the locals) suspicious and decided to report the matter to constituted authorities”

“Locals in some of the above-mentioned communities who saw the deadly fire-power the group possessed described them as ‘extremely dangerous’. The presence of the group underscores a huge gap in Nigeria’s security governance, especially in rural areas, and, by extension, (in) border communities where movement across the country’s national border is as easy as falling off a log. It also exposes the erosion of trust among locals in the government’s ability to secure life and property.

“The Lakurawa’s activities have since spiralled out of local control. The group preached in public places, imposed levies on herders under the guise of Zakat and flogged villagers for playing music or dancing and chastising them for un-Islamic activities… Members of the group conducted attacks on local security forces, including an attack on a military base — a situation that prompted a joint military operation between the Nigerian military and their Nigerien counterparts to carry out an offensive against them…

“The re-emergence of the group is linked to the coup in the neighbouring Niger Republic, which disrupted joint military patrol along the border between Nigeria and Niger. Before they left after the offensive (against them), they (the Lakurawa) had already indoctrinated some residents…who were left behind while some (Lakurawa elements ) stayed in the forest around Tangaza and laid low. The absence of a joint-border patrol since the military took over in Niger actually gave them free access. The group has been in that area since 2018. People in that area have been aware of the group’s existence for a long time…

“The northwestern region has been a hotbed of criminal gangs for years in Nigeria. Jihadist groups like Ansaru have also been able to stamp their foot there. The region shares a long, porous border with the Republic of Niger where the Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM and the Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) operate. The border with the Benin Republic, in Kebbi state, also offers a corridor for Sahelian terrorists, mostly as a logistics route or base. Its vast forests provide buffers for terrorists…

“With large swathes of ungoverned space and limited government presence across the areas… the region is fast becoming a ticking time bomb, especially with the influx of jihadists from the Sahel — a situation that is likely to exacerbate the country’s already fragile security situation, particularly in the northern region”.

Many other informed commentaries on the Lakurawa terrorists share identical views as those expressed above. From these, we note the following: One: The decision by ECOWAS, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu heads, to sanction the coupists in Niger Republic and other West African countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, was hasty and does not serve Nigeria’s security interest. The cornerstone of our foreign policy ought to be our own internal security and national interest, not grandstanding on the altar of, or deferring to any sub-regional organisation.

Two: The Lakurawa terrorists have operated since 2018, towards the tail end of the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari in office, and all throughout his second term in office: What did he do to contain them?

Three: Radical Islam is the weapon “purists” and territory grabbers have wielded from time immemorial in that part of the country to worm themselves into the heart of their victims before turning round in the guise of the same religion to enslave and oppress them. We see “progressive” Islam in other parts of the world; when shall the North borrow a leaf from such places?

Four: Nature abhors a vacuum and with little or no-government presence in a large swathe of terrorist-infested areas of the North, the population is left at the mercy of the elements. What, then, is the essence of states and local governments in the North?

Five: The large number of out-of-school children in the North is ready recruitment ground for terrorist organisations: Who will compel the states and local governments in the North to put their money where their mouth is?

Six: Other practices that are counter-productive such as the almajiri system, girl-child marriage, marrying many wives and giving birth to multitudes of children than will not be catered for – all these must stop!

Seven: It is time the North did away with retrogressive religion that spins only extremism, violence and retrogression. Nigerian Muslims flock to Dubai and Saudi: What do they go there to see – Boko Haram, bandits, murderous herders and Lakurawa?

*Former Editor of PUNCH newspapers, Chairman of its Editorial Board and Deputy Editor-in-chief, BOLAWOLE was also the Managing Director/ Editor-in-chief of The WESTERNER newsmagazine. He writes the ON THE LORD’S DAY column in the Sunday TRIBUNE and TREASURES column in NEW TELEGRAPH newspaper on Wednesdays. He is also a public affairs analyst on radio and television.