Lakurawa: ‘How Politicians’ Economic Interests, Governance Fuel Banditry’

The bandit group, Lakurawa, has become an addition to the recognized number of insurgents and bandits terrorizing communities in Nigeria.

Like Boko Haram, Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), and other bandit groups, Lakurawa is reportedly propagating radicalism in the Northern region.

The Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area, Alhaji Isa Salihu Kalenjeni, in a report had earlier revealed that the group occupies five local governments in the state. However, states like Kebbi has felt the radical activities of Lakurawa.

Like all bandits, the Lakurawa group forces communities to pay some taxes and rob others. Unfortunately, they are actively recruiting youths with the sum of ₦1 million.

“They are forcing people to pay Zakkat and at the same time robbing people of their belongings. Just recently, they robbed a shop owner of ₦2 million. They also seized his car and released it after he paid ₦350,000″,  Kalenjeni stated.

A North-born soldier, Mohammed Abubakar, who has been active in the fight against insurgency and banditry across the North East and North West, spoke with Naija News on Lakuwara, banditry and insurgency in the region.

Abubakar told our reporter that the Lakurawa group shares the same ideology as Boko-Haram and ISWAP. According to him, the bandit group migrated to the North West, Sokoto, from the North East. He added that they also infiltrated the North East from Niger and other border countries within the Lake Chad region.

This was corroborated in the Naija News report. The Tangaza council chair, Kalenjeni, said the Lakurawa migrated from Libya, Mali and Niger Republic and camped at Tsauni forest.

What is the meaning of Lakurawa and who are the Lakurawa? How did this group come about the name? 

“Lakurawa is not a new word or new name. It is like a name that was dead before which is now revived to life. These people appeared with the name.

“The Lakurawas have not been new or a new terrorist group. It is actually a tribe and it is a kind of community, a long community on the Lake Chad axis. These guys are a reincarnation of Boko Haram we have in the North East. Just that the name changed,” Abubakar said.

Lakurawa’s ideology, he disclosed, is to make the region an Islamic state. Lakurawa wants Islamic laws to replace the Constitution. He told Naija News the approach and operations were wrong and there was more to the banditry of the bandits.

“They are of the ideology of Islamic state. That is implementing Islamic laws in the North East and North West also. They want a re-establishment of Islamic laws in those particular states, because they believe most people from those states are predominantly Muslims.

“They think the Sharia Law should be implemented in those states. Which is their ideology and demand and that is what they fight for, practically, but in reality, they are fighting it in wrong approach,” he stated.

On the group paying ₦1 million to youths to join them, the Nigeria Army officer who has been active in the fight against Boko Haram and bandits across North East and North West regions disclosed that Lakurawa’s mode of recruitment was not new.

He stressed that with the harsh economy and the high amount they are paying, many youths would join them. He recalled that other bandit groups recruited their members by paying ₦50,000. He regretted that many youths would join for the price of ₦1 million. He noted that the high recruitment offer could hinder the fight to eliminate the group.

“The current situation of the country right now is on heat. That is to say poverty is at its peak, insecurity, insurgency, unemployment and all that. So naturally, it is going to affect youths.

“The North is in abject poverty, so any offer like that they will not reject to accept it. They would have to collect, even though it is less than that.

“I remember some years back in the North Eastern part of the country when they were just offered ₦50,000 with an AK 47. Now that they have more than enough, even if it is ₦100,000, not up to a million who would refuse to accept such an offer.

“So it is going to affect. A lot of youths would gladly join such movement,” Abubakar told Naija News.

He emphasized that the addition of Lakurawa to the number of bandits and terrorist groups they are fighting has not been easy, but soldiers are winning.

“The soldiers have been trying so far, gathering intelligence to execute military operations. Since 2012 to date, soldiers have been very much engaged in fighting terrorists in the North East and North West region,” he stated.

Abubakar, however, emphasized that to end banditry and insurgency, youths must be provided with jobs. He decried the lack of unemployment in the Northern region. He also highlighted illiteracy as one of the factors that should be addressed to tackle insurgency and banditry.

“The youths in the North are mostly unemployed. We have the highest number of unemployed youths in the North. This is one of the reasons these people (bandits) are getting more population (recruits).

“The Northern governors really need to put their heads and hands together to be able to curb the issue of unemployment, Then literacy level, one of the issues promoting this insurgency is level of literacy.

“Some of Northern youths lack basic knowledge of both the religious ideology and Western education ideology. And as such it is easy for you to manipulate them. I think these are the key areas the governments need to put hands together to be able to curb issue of insurgency and reduce the number of youths signing up for banditry.

“If industries are built, youths will not have enough time to even sign up and listen to such ideologies that promote insurgency, particularly in the North East and North West part of the country,” Abubakar advised.

According to him, politicians have hands in the insecurity ravaging the Northern region. He pointed out that insecurity in the region and bandits activities are flourishing because of politicians’ involvement. The North-born soldier alleged that through bandits’ activities, politicians exploit natural resources in the region for their gains.

“Poor governance and political class contribute a lot to insecurity in the country. This is in the sense that these wars (banditry and insurgent ) are for economical purposes, economical selfish gains.

“Previously, there was banditry in North West but it was not as it is right now. Today, you can’t be able to go to Jibia comfortably. Kebbi is rated one of the most peaceful states in the whole North, but today, there are places you can’t go to easily due to banditry activities.

“All as a result of poor governance and selfish political interest and economic interest that our politicians signed up for. There is no way banditry can be in a particular place without the hands of the government.

“My own experience over the years, this insurgency is all about economic exploitation. Where there are minerals resources there is always war. Who are the people benefitting from this? If you look at it, banditry is going on within the borders of those particular regions.

“In the North East, North West, the war is on the borders of the states than the capital city. As such, these are areas where these mineral resources are being exploited and taken out of the country. It is just like political conspiracy to make us believe there is war while it is mineral exploitation system that is going on,” Abubakar added.