A new terrorist group popularly known as Lakurawa has established camps in 10 Local Government Areas across Sokoto and Bauchi states.
According to The PUNCH, the group initially began operations in villages bordering Nigeria and the Niger Republic, including Gwanaguano, Mulawa, Wassinya, and Turigaic communities.
By 2018, they had infiltrated Nigeria, establishing camps in Gudu and Tangaza Local Government Areas of Sokoto State.
The group, which operates under the name Darul Islam for its camps, reportedly uses Hausa, Fulfulde, and Arabic languages for preaching and indoctrination.
Key leaders of Lakurawa include Abu Khadijah, Abdulrahaman (Idi), Dadi Gumba, Muhammed Abu, Usman Shehu, Abu Yusuf, Musa Walia, Ibrahim Suyaka, Ba Sulhu, and Idris Taklakse, according to credible sources.
The existence of the group and its activities only became widely known three weeks ago.
A source said, “Their ages are between 18 and 50 years. They have been attacking villages in Gudu, Tangaza, Illela, and other local governments to collect taxes, though they did not kill anyone until the recent Mera attack.
They will count the number of cattle in their custody and calculate the tax based on the percentage which they will take from the cattle,” a community leader in Tangaza LG said.
A researcher with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr Murtala Rufa’i, stated that the group had been planning to establish its caliphate for over 25 years.
He said that although group members had camps in different communities in about 10 LGAs in Sokoto and Kebbi states, they did not stay in a particular place as they were always moving.
They are always on the move using their motorcycles. You can see them today in Bachaka or Kangiwa, and you can see them tomorrow at Bachaka Tambo and the next day at Bachaka in Gudu. This makes it very difficult for our security operatives to locate them unless their paths cross,” the don added.
He disclosed that the group had between 1,500 and 1,800 followers, including clerics and youths in the Tangaza and Gudu axis, the ancestral home of the Lukarawa leaders.
Rufa’i said the group was dislodged by combined security agents around 2020 but later regrouped in December 2023.
Since then, Lakurawa’s activities have spread to about ten local government areas, which include Tangaza, Gudu, Illela, Gwadabawa, Kware, Silame, Binji in Sokoto State and Augie and Kangiwa, Argungu, in Kebbi State,” he stated.
Lakurawa, according to the don, is a Malian-based group known in the Sahel as Jama’atu Muslimina, with members cutting across different tribes and sects.
He identified the group leader as Ahmadu Kofa, whose ancestors were originally Nigerians from a community called Kofa under the old Kebbi empire.
