By Ebute Mathew, Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has raised deep concern over the emergence of a new armed terror group, Lakurawa, in Northwest states of Kebbi and Sokoto, as confirmed by local authorities as well as Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters.
In a statement on Sunday, ACF’ National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Mohammad, noted that members of the group are reported to be foreigners and have been engaged in membership recruitment, using monetary incentives.
According to him, within the last 48 hours, the group had attacked communities in Argungu Local Government Area, killing 15 persons.
“ACF considers the emergence of this group as very dangerous and alarming as it indicates an escalation in the very devastating state of insecurity in the Northwest, now Nigeria’s epicenter of terrorism. Coming amid signs of successes from the renewed vigour by the Nigerian military to decapitate banditry in this zone, the new development raises serious concerns, as further grave challenge to Nigeria’s National Security interests.
“Thus, the group should not be toyed with in any form and must be processed and treated with all seriousness. Lakurawa, at this incipient stage of its emergence, must not be tolerated or allowed to entrenched itself to embedded in our communities through benign neglect or kid-glove treatment as was the case with Boko Haram insurgency, farmer-herder clashes and banditry in the Northeast, North-central and Northwest areas, respectively.
“The visit to Niger Republic earlier in the year by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, should be utilised as a fulcrum for renewed cross-border international efforts to deal with terrorists. The Federal Government (FGN), state and local authorities should also leverage on the close complex historic socio-cultural, economic and political ties with Nigeria’s neighbours with which to confront the mutual existential security threats that terror groups pose to all” it stated.
ACF further calls for, Intensification of intelligence gathering, processing, storage, retrieval, deployment and utilisation, and attention to be paid to the possible involvement of local informants in communities and such individuals, whoever they are without regards to their station in society, must unequivocally be made to know the dire consequences of any involvement with terror groups in any form whatsoever.
It added that, more effective and efficient inter-agency collaboration among National Security Agencies under the coordination of the Office of the National Security Advisor, and Involvement of local traditional and religious leaders, persons of influence, hunters, vigilante outfits and other community influential to form vanguards of support for security operations.