....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
The Nigerian Army and their counterparts in Chad, Niger, and other neighbouring countries have reportedly joined forces to combat cross-border threats posed by the Lakurawa terrorist.
According to a report by Punch, the collaborative effort aims to restrict the movement of the group, which has been linked to heinous criminal activities in the northern part of Nigeria and its neighbours.
The Lakurawa group, affiliated with terrorists in the Sahel, particularly from Mali and Niger Republic, became a national security challenge after launching its first audacious attack on November 4.
Last month, the terror group had set up camps in 10 Local Government Areas of Sokoto and Bauchi states before its operations became known to the public three weeks ago
According to sources, members of the terror group initially established camps in villages bordering Nigeria and Niger Republic, including Gwanaguano, Mulawa, Wassinya, and Turigaic communities.
They eventually infiltrated Nigeria and set up camps in different communities, especially in Gudu and Tangaza LGAs of Sokoto in 2018.
According to the aforementioned publication, the terrorists use Hausa, Fulfulde and Arabic languages in their preaching while they named their camp Dar-ul-Islam.
“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, said the group had been planning to establish its caliphate for over 25 years.
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 Lakurawa leaders.
Speaking with the aforementioned publication on the measures by the military to beef up the nation’s border, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, on Sunday, said the joint patrols would help block the loopholes that led to the penetration of the new sect.
He said, “Yes, we have commenced joint patrols with neighbouring countries to block the gaps that enable their penetration.”
