By Suleiman Umaru
With the death of Taoreed Lagbaja, a Lt. General and former Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, over alleged cancer, against the widely held view that he was poisoned to death may have thrown up Bello Turji , a Bandits Group Kingpin, described as the last man standing with the killing of Kachalla Sububu, the illegal gold miner and Financial of the Criminal gang , who incidentally is the gang Leader may have thrown him up as the undisputed Leader of the Group.
Operating between the Forests of Shinkafi in Zamfara, home state of Bello Matawalle, minister of state, Defence and who incidentally is the former governor of the north western state, Nigeria and the neighbouring West African country of Republic of Niger, Turji, and his gang appears to have moved on Nov. 12, 2024, to overrun Gataway, a town in the Sabon Birni local government Area of Sokoto, home state of late former President Shehu Shagari.
A resident noted that both not for the quick intervention of the Nigerian military, aided by the Local hunters, the Turji led bandit group have almost succeeded in taking over the Gataway town but were given a battle of their lives forcing them to flee into the forest late in the afternoon the next day.
The worry of the people is that Turji and his fighters who are based in in the Forests of Shinkafi in Zamfara and terrorizing differrent parts of Sokoto state, particular, Sabon Birni, Isa and Gooronye Local Government Areas may still make moves to take over the Sokoto state town if military relaxes their operations in the area after this stormy encounter.
. This may have informed why they have resorted to Prayers that the Soldiers will at the end of battling these dangerous bandit gang Leader and his fighters that he should be among those to be killed during the fight like other gang Leaders who had earlier been killed in similar fights in neighbouring Zamfara, home state of Bello Matawalle, the minister of state Defence, who incidentally was a former governor of the north western state.
Describing the late Lt. Gen. Lagbaja, as a ‘’true embodiment of discipline and dedication to duty’’, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, rtd, a former CoAS, and Nigeria former Ambassador to neighbouring Benin Republic, during the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, had said that the loss of the Army Chief has left a void in the Nigerian Army and the nation at the large.
He noted that the Commander of 9 Brigade, in Ikeja, Lagos, the nation’s Cpmmercial nerve centre and later the Commander 2 Brigade in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, he was alive to his duties.
He was emphatic that Nigeria has lost a strategic Army Commander whose Leadership and vision have been instrumental in shaping the Nigerian Army into the formidable situation it is today the Bandits group, based in the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kduna,, BokoHaram Katsina and the Islamic Fundamentalist group and the Islamic State of West African Conference, ISWAP, based in the Lake Chad Basin, operating in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe, no longer find it funny.
While the Turji ledbandits gang are making moves to stamp their influence and Authority different parts of Sokoto, another relatively newbandits gang, labelled Lakurawa’’ by the military were said to have infilterated Sokoto and Kebbi states through Niger following the military Coup in the country in July 2023.
But the al-Qaeda -linked bandits group had reportedly said that they had been active in the north western region before the 2023, Niger Coup, meaning that most of the attacks that had been carried in the north western states of Sokoto and Kebbi , in the past which had been linked to Turji and his gang had actually been master-minded by the Lakurawa group. It was not surprising why insecurity in Sokoto and Kebbi, particular, had exacerbated over the last one year.
Edward Buba, a Major General, Defence Headquarters spokesperson, had said that the new terrorist sect are affiliated to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahel region, particular, the groups operating in the two West African countries of Mali and Niger Republic.
The Defence Headquarters image make who could not hide his feelings had said it loud and clear that the Lakurawas which emerged from Mali and Niger, had resulted in the breakdown of the military cooperation between Niger and Nigeria.
The Lakurawa group which style of operation may not be different from the other militant groups, like the Bandits Group,based in the north western geopolitical region, BokoHaram and ISWAP, which were said to have rejected to be called Mujhideen or Ansaru, the franchise of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM, in Nigeria.
Moreso, the recruitment activities of the new militant group in the north western geopolitical region, a resident of Kebbi, had said that it follows the same pattern used by the Jihadists in Borno state using ‘’the social media and welfare packages’’ and are actually getting new recruits on a daily basis.
The group, according to informed source targets military formations and civilians considered as spies. At present the group are said to be operating in different parts of Kaduna, particular, Birnin Gwari but are currently trying to penetrate the banditry group ravaged north western region to upstage Turji and his followers.
Given the notoriety of the Lakurawa terror sect in the north western states of Sokoto and Kebbi states in the recent time may have informed why the Arewa Consultative Forum ACF, has urged the military to take immediate and decisive action against the Lakurawa group before it escalates its operations in Nigeria.
Nasir Idris, Kebbi state governor, who do not want his state to be turned to another Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna or Katsina, was said to have dispatched a delegation to meet Gen. Chritopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, and to plead with him to deploy more troops to the state to flush out the new terror group, Lakurawa fighters from the state. The situation in the north western state is so worrisome that you can’t five kilometers in one local government Area in the state without encountering Lakurawa fighters on the way.
The Value News online Magazine gathered that virtually all the villages surrounding local government headquarters in the state are said to be under the control of Lakurawa, who had turned themselves to Judges for the local people. They were said to have barred the traditional rulers from intervening in any dispute brought to them or risked being killed. The Traditional rulers have no option but to obey to live. Bulama Bukarti, an analyst had confirmed that the newly identified terror group, Lakurawa, have actually taken over the duties of Traditional rulers in Communities under their firm control in Kebbi state serving as mediators among the locals, impose trade codes and practice Sharia Law in these Communities.
It was not surprising why the aggrieved Kebbi state governor had sent a high powered delegation to the CDS, to seek for deployment of more soldiers in the state to contain the activities of the Lakurawa group when the situation in the Communities in the affected local government Areas reached to him.
Sheikh Abdlbasit Silame, an Ilamic Cleric in Sokot’’ they are in the two north western states of Sokoto and Kebbi, ‘’to rescue them from the bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers who have been terrorizing their Communities over the last one decade’’. The Islamic cleric noted that the Lakurawa group are not Fulanis but Malians, Burkinabees and Nigeriens, noting that they are tall and lanky and do not associate with women.
Atiku Bagudu, a former governor of the state and now minister of Budget and National Planning under the the current Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration was said to have led the Kebbi state government delegation who had met the CDS, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The CDS, may have given his words that the military would take all the necessary action to crush the new terror set which had established their presence in Sokoto and Kebbi, having moved from Niger Republic, and other countries in the Sahel region.
The Coordinated air and ground attacks targeted at the Lakurawa camps in Sokoto and Kebbi states, was said to have resulted in the seizure of Livestock, a vital revenue stream for the group. The incessant bombardment from the Nigerian AirForce and ground attacks which were said to be in collaboration with the Operation Fasan Yamma and Operation Farutar Mujiya, may have forced the group which had been operating in the two states of the north western geopolitical region may have forced them into withdrawing towards Borgu, a strategic area near the Nigeria-Benin Republic Border.
Recall that last Friday, the terror group, were said to have attacked Mera Community in Augie local government Area of Kebbi state, killing 15 residents, allegedly killing 15 people. Senator Shehu Sani, who was not surprised at the emergence of the Lakurawa militant group in Nigeria, had said that’’ it is not a new security threat in the country’’.
The Kaduna state born politician had revealed that the Lakurawa terror sect is part of a broader network of foreign terrorist operatives across the length and breadth of the Sahel region. According to him, the Nigerian-based Lakurawa group operates under the control of foreign elements, unlike the Nigerian based bandits’ group, which he had said could lead to the ongoing power struggles within the local terror groups.
He was emphatic that the major difference between Lakurawa and the Nigerian-based militants is that the chain of Command of the former are foreigners, calling for a united efforts from Nigeria, Niger and Mali to combat the terror group.
He may have sent a note of warning to the four countries in the West African sub-region ravaged by Lakurawa fighters to act fast as the group’s pursuit of Jihadist’ agenda, including acts of beheadings, represents extreme threat to the region.
This is a big challenge to Tinubu, Nigerian President, and who incidentally is the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, ‘’to ensure that the economic bloc will never be subjugated or conquered by such evil souls’’
Already, Olufemi Oluyede, a Lt. General and acting CoAS, who do not want Sokoto and Kebbi, to be turned to another theatre of war by the new terror sect, Lakurawa, was said to have visited 8Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, as part of the efforts to combat the group.
He was said to have ordered the troops to crush the terror sect which a source had confirmed are inducing Youths into their fold. The acting CoAS, may have used the opportunity of being in 8 Division of the Nigerian Army to visit Masallaci, described as one of the flash Communities used by the group in the Tangaza local government Area of the caliphate state to call on the residents to always give accurate and timely information to the troops to help them in the fight against insecurity . Note that Lakurawa group, had established camps in 10 local government areas across Sokoto, Kebbi and Bauchi states to effectively Launch attacks on their targets without failing.
