KEY POINTS

• Terrorists from northwest and northcentral Nigeria are now working under the name Lakurawa and are terrorists from Mali and Burkina Faso.
• The Senate has appealed to the military to have early warning mechanisms and strengthen community partnership to deal with such scenarios.
• Recent attacks have resulted in the death of people, displacing families and causing considerable economic losses.

The Senate has cried out on terrorist infiltration of northwestern states such as Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna states and north central Niger state from Mali and Burkina Faso under the name Lakurawa.

It is a dangerous international dimension to Nigeria’s insecurity, the Senate said of the development.

The concern follows days after the House of Representatives, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), northern leaders and traditional rulers, also issued a similar warning.

On Tuesday during plenary, the Senate asked the military to be on ground in affected communities. To put up early warning system and be vigilant so that the spread of the terror group is stopped.

Besides, the lawmakers asked the federal government to send an assessment team to determine the damages and come up with the immediate needs of the affected families.

Resolutions and observations

These resolutions were based on a motion titled ‘Urgent Need for the Federal Government to Take Stringent Steps to Prevent Infiltration of a Terrorist Group Known as Lakurawa from Digging in Some Northwest Siates of Sokoto and Kebbi into Some North West States of Sokoto and Kebbi.’

It was in response to a motion sponsored by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP, Kebbi North) and co-sponsored by Senators Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central) and Garba Musa Maidoki (PDP, Kebbi South).

Titled “Urgent Need for the Federal Government to Take Stringent Measures to Stop the Infiltration of a Group of Violent Terrorists, Known as Lakurawa, from Entrenching Themselves in Some Northwest States of Sokoto and Kebbi.”

Lawmakers’ contributions

The situation is very serious and it is a new dimension that we should take appropriate action on immediately, said Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North).

This is not the first time this group enters Nigeria, it was in 2018 when my tenure as Governor of Sokoto state; this is not the first time, said Senator Aminu Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto South).

“An armed and heavily armed group of these terrorists has international connections,” Tambuwal said.

Lakurawa has taken over parts of northern Mali, according to Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central) who said the terror group is targeting other states in Nigeria.

The Senate, he urged, should review its recommendations on how to combat terrorism and forward them to the Presidency for immediate implementation.

Military response

It said the clash between soldiers and Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Borno ended in death of five soldiers as well as the neutralization of 30 terrorists.

The military then sent reinforcements and air support to get the attackers.

Senate directives

The Senate also lauded the military’s quick reaction but called for sustained campaign against the Lakurawa group and other terrorist elements.

At the same time, they took a minute of silence for the victims of recent attacks.