The Defence Headquarters has announced the emergence of a new terrorist group called ‘Lukarawas,’ which has been intensifying security challenges in Northwestern Nigeria.
During a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, Major-General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, revealed that this new group formed in the Republic of Niger after the recent coup there, which disrupted military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger.
According to Buba, these terrorists have entered the northern areas of Sokoto and Kebbi States from the Niger and Mali regions, taking advantage of the weakened border security due to the breakdown in joint operations that previously helped contain them.
He explained that the ‘Lukarawas’ group initially received support from local communities who believed the group had good intentions and, as a result, did not report their movements to the military and security agencies.
The terrorists have since used remote, hard-to-access areas as bases to spread their influence.
Buba assured the public that the military is using intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations to locate and weaken the terrorist group.
However, the group continues to use under-governed areas to evade military forces and disrupt local communities.
“The troops are identifying and eliminating these threats,” he added.
