Rise of New Terror Group, Lakurawa in Nigeria’s Northwest

The rise of a new cross-border, transnational insurgent group, called Lakurawa, in the already battered northwest part of Nigeria has raised another spectre of Boko-Haram-type protracted insurgency war in that region of Nigeria. Already, the northwest is battling different security challenges notably deadly banditry and kidnapping. Indeed, the whole northern Nigeria is bedeviled with various security threats such as religious insurgency in the northeast, banditry and kidnapping in the northwest, and herders-farmers conflicts in the north-central.

By Kola Ibrahim

And before anyone says these threats are synonymous with the nature of the north, it is worth noting that the south has had, and still having, its share of security problems vis-à-vis ethnic violence in the southeast, and militancy and deadly cultism in the south-south, not to mention the rising street gangsterism in the southwest. More than this, these security crises, either in the north or south, are rooted in the neocolonial economic system that has engendered mass deprivation, unprecedented inequality and underdevelopment, in the midst of superabundant mineral, natural, agricultural and human resources. Worth mentioning also is the fact that these security threats have led to deaths of tens of thousands of Nigerians, while further deepening poverty and misery.

The news of Lakurawa group is becoming prominent because the group put a name on itself and has structures and affiliation – similar to Boko Haram tendency and other terrorist groups in the northeast. However, in terms of virulence of the violence and destruction engendered, the existing banditry in the northwest dwarfs the Lakurawa in notoriety. Indeed, according to media reports (Premium Times, 12/11/2024; HumAngle, 12/11/2024; HumAngle, 9/11/2024) and research analysis (Murtala Ahmed Rufa’I, (2023), Importing Militant Jihadists; James Barnett, et al, (2022), Northwestern Nigeria: A Jihadization of Banditry, or a “Banditization” of Jihad?), the Lakurawa group, which used to exist within the borders of the neighbouring Niger Republic, gained access and foothold in Nigeria, through an invitation in 2017 by local border communities in Sokoto State, who were threatened by bandits and cattle rustlers. The group subsequently became local champions, and increased its membership from about 50 to more than 200, recruiting youths from local communities in Sokoto State.

From this, it can be deduced that this rise of Lakurawa is rooted in the failure of the state to protect the citizens, which led to self-help by communities affected by banditry. While the capitalist state monopolizes coercive apparatus of the society, under the guise of providing security and peace, it actually usurps this coercive power to protect the interests of the rich few. In a neocolonial country like Nigeria, this will mean that the government will be more interested in using security forces to oppress and jail Nigerians, including minors and children, for demanding better life, leaving the masses vulnerable to insecurity, while asking the citizens to be security conscious, when it comes to protecting them. Yet, billions of naira are creamed off public coffers by politicians, top security officials and big businesses, under the guise of security budgets.

By 2021, Lakurawa had morphed into a full-fledged violent group, killing locals, looting and taking over communities (Premium Times, 12/11/2024). This shows that while community action is necessary in fighting security threats, such actions that rely on mercenaries and external forces will only generate worse outcome. Only community action rooted in democratically-operated community vigilante/defence movement can be effective in fighting security threats. The employment of Lakurawa group to fight banditry and cattle rustling, has meant moving from fry-pan to fire, for the communities. Community defence action that is democratic will mobilise the effort and power of local people to defend the community, while ensuring that no person or group goes against the collective interests. Even if outside support will be needed, it will be subjected to democratic control of the community defence movement.

Joint border security patrol by Nigerian and Nigerien security forces was able to curtail strategic advance by the group, which by 2022 was already attacking state institutions in Nigeria and Niger Republic, having being affiliated to Al Qaeda terror groups in north Africa and the Sahel. However, the recent coup in Niger Republic and the ECOWAS response, which has snowballed into frosty relationship between Nigeria and Niger Republic and prevented joint actions, have further emboldened the group to make inroads into Nigeria. According to media reports, the group has been able to take over communities in two local governments in Sokoto State, while making effort to reach Zamfara. Also, the group reportedly killed 15 persons in communities in Kebbi State recently (Punch, 9/11/2024). The group’s operational method is similar to terror groups in northeast: enforcing doctrinal laws on the people, demanding taxes, punishing supposed transgressors, killing perceived spies and moles, and uprooting the authority of the state.

These are indeed serious threat, especially in the absence of basic state presence. If the group is rooted in the communities, it can easily spread and mobilise. However, another source of strength for the group will be nature of state response. While the Nigerian military authorities have promised to dislodge the group (Premium Times, 7/11/2024), adopting the same method used in the northeast that have meant collective punishment of the people and right abuses, will further worsen already bad situation. The recent heavy crackdown on #EndbadGovernance protesters, which involved detaining several hundreds of people, mostly in the north, including minors and children, reflect the anti-democratic character of the Nigerian state.

Furthermore, given the excruciating poverty that the neoliberal capitalist policies of the Tinubu administration has intensified, it may be difficult to end insurgency with mere military actions. Even if the military is able to curtail the Lakurawa group, the nature of the methods used, coupled with anti-poor policies of the government and the undemocratic actions against the citizens, may possibly generate new security challenges in the same way Lakurawa threat sprouted from banditry. Also, the rotten politics and assimilative/settlement approach of state governments in the north, rather than end insecurity, will further embolden anti-state violent actors to build and spread, knowing that they will be pampered by the government.

Only a socialist government, rooted in meeting the welfare needs of the people through breaking with the existing system and mobilising society’s resources currently controlled by a few cliques of billionaires, can genuinely provide a secure society on a permanent basis. The neoliberal capitalist government of Tinubu, just like its predecessors, is only interested in protecting the interests of the rich few billionaires and those in corridors of power. People’s welfare and security come last, if it exists at all, in capitalist government’s order of priority.