The Nigerian Military has alerted the nation to the emergence of a new terror group that is now residing in Kebbi and Sokoto states.
The Military High Command said the new terrorist group is known as ‘Lukarawas’.
This is coming just as the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has declared nine more terrorists wanted but without a bounty on their heads.
The wanted terrorists include Abu Khadijah, Abdurrahman, Dadi Gumba (a.k.a Abu Muhammed), Usman Kanin Shehu, Abu Yusuf, Musa Wa’a, Ibrahim Suyeka, B.A Sulhu and Idris Taklakse.
The emergence of ‘Lukarawas’ exacerbates the insecurity in the northwestern part of Nigeria, where bandits have made life terrible for residents with wanton kidnappings and killings.
The director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, made this known on Thursday while briefing newsmen on military operations in Abuja.
Buba said that the new terror group emerged from the Republic of Niger after the coup that led to the breakdown of military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger.
He said that the terrorists began incursion into the northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states from the Niger Republic and Mali axis, particularly after the coup in the Niger Republic.
According to him, before the coup, there were joint border operations with Nigerien security forces, which kept the terrorists at bay.
“The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and exploited difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some North Western states to spread their ideology,” he said.
Buba said that the group was accommodated by the locals, who initially thought it meant well for them, and they failed to report the presence to the military and security agencies.
He gave assurance that troops had sustained its Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations to degrade the terrorists.
He added that the terror group had continued to take advantage of the vast under-governed areas to hide and evade troops as well as harass the locals.
According to him, troops are locating them and eliminating the threat they pose.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed that troops killed 481 terrorists, arrested 741 others and rescued 492 hostages in October.
