“Lakurawa terrorists forced back to Mali” – FG declares victory over group

The Federal Government has announced that Nigeria is now free of the Lakurawa terrorist group, following a decisive military campaign that forced the group back into Mali.

The declaration was made by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, during a press briefing in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Sunday.

Speaking to journalists, Matawalle emphasized that the group, which originated in Mali, no longer poses a threat on Nigerian soil.

“I want to make it clear that we have no Lakurawa in any part of the country, not even in Zamfara or Kebbi State,” Matawalle stated.

He credited the success to the Nigerian military’s robust offensive, which dismantled the group’s networks and denied them any foothold in Nigeria.

The Minister’s announcement counters recent reports by Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Shehu Dalijan, who had linked the Lakurawa group to a series of explosive attacks in the region.

Matawalle dismissed the claims, asserting that any recent acts of violence were the work of unrelated criminal elements.

“The Lakurawa terrorists were never firmly established in Nigeria. Their presence here was temporary, and now they’ve been driven out completely,” he added.

The Lakurawa group first emerged in Sokoto State in 2016 as a militia aimed at combating banditry. However, it soon evolved into a radical sect, enforcing strict religious laws and recruiting youths through financial incentives.

Over the years, the group expanded its violent activities, carrying out deadly raids across northwestern Nigeria, including a notorious attack in November 2024 in the Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State.