Lakurawa Terrorist Group Shows Our Intelligence Gathering Is Below Average – Shekarau

Former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, has blamed the lack of proper intelligence gathering for the emergence of new terrorist group, Lakurawa.

Naija News reported that the terrorist group had last week invaded Mera, Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State, killing 15 people and stealing over 100 cows.

Featuring on Channels TV’s programme, Sunrise Daily, Shekarau said the terrorist group have begun giving communities in the northern region nightmares and collecting levies.

Shekarau stated that the federal and state governments can address the issue of the new terrorist group through proper intelligence gathering and community policing.

He said, “This is giving us an impression that our intelligence gathering is still below average because if the intelligence have been up and doing from all the agencies, then this thing should have been discovered earlier than now. The new insurgents have already started attacking communities by giving them all kinds of nightmares and collecting levies.

“I think we have had enough of insurgents we are battling with, so for them to have come in from neighbour countries like Niger Republic into the borders of Sokoto and Kebbi, I think we need to do a lot of restructuring of the security architecture.

“When I was a governor, I always meet with the security committee and I directed all the local government to meet on the last Thursday of every month. The state security committee, the local government security will meet and report back whatever they have.

“If government will initiate a proper community intelligence gathering there will be peace.We did in Kano and the people trust this arrangement far more, the traditional institution was greatly involved and we empowered them.

“One of the major things to do is to improve the nature of intelligence gathering. The number of police, Army, and military is not enough for them to be all over the place. Through intelligence gathering you will be able to identify informants who are working with insurgents.

“If we want to address this issue, the government (Federal and State) must work together to improve intelligence gathering through community watch and policing. Up till now, we have not been able to produce some of these things.”