Insecurity: Senate urges military to halt spread of Lakurawa insurgency

The Senate on Wednesday commended the Nigerian Military for their prompt response to the Lakurawa insurgency in parts of Northwest Nigeria and urged them to maintain their vigilance in the affected communities to halt the activities of the group from spreading further across the region.

The Red Chamber also directed the military to work with the communities and other security agencies, to set up early warning mechanisms to forestall further incursions by the group.

It further urged the federal government to send an assessment team to the affected areas to estimate the extent of damages and to determine the immediate relief needs of the affected families.

It observed a one-minute silence in honour of the deceased community members killed in the wake of the terrorists’ incursion.

The resolutions of the Senate followed its consideration and adoption of a motion 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 North Western parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States” during plenary.

Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP – Kebbi North) predicated his motion on orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders 2023.

In his lead debate, Abdullahi said the Senate is aware that a group of terrorists from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, known as Lakurawa has infiltrated the country through the Nigeria-Niger border, at Illela, Tangaza and Silame Local Government Areas of Sokoto and are from there, attacking communities in Augie and Arewa LGAs in Kebbi State.

He recalled that this violent gang of terrorists had raided and dispossessed the communities, before the large-scale invasion of Mera, a village in Augie Local Government, on November 8, 2024, killing more than 20 people and fleeing with their livestock, amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.

He said: “Aware that Kebbi State Government promptly responded by sending a delegation with relief materials to the affected villages and assistance to the families of the deceased.

“Aware that Senator Yahaya A. Abdullahi (Kebbi North) and Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi North Central) and Senator Garba Musa Maidoki (Kebbi South), along with some Members of the House of Representatives, from Kebbi state, have been to those arears, to commiserate with victims of the attacks on behalf of the National Assembly.

“Aware that if timely, adequate and decisive measures are not taken, this group can spread its reign of terror to other Northern parts of the country and beyond.

“Notes the prompt response of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces who despatched a well-armed military response squad that was able to dislodge the terrorists and secured the release of herds of cattle and other livestock that were stolen by the terrorists.”

In his contribution, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, expressed solidarity with the people of Kebbi State, saying the unfortunate development represented a new dimension to the problem of insecurity in that area.

Barau said: “It is sad that while our security agencies are working very hard to deal with the current situation that we have or the situation that was there before these people came into Kebbi State.

“When the security agents are working very hard, day in and day out, sacrificing their lives to deal with the situation that was hitherto occurring in that state, now, a new dimension has come to exacerbate the problem of insecurity.

“This was how Boko Haram started. Those guys came from other parts of the world – different parts of the West Africa sub-region into Borno State.

“The appropriate action was not taken at the right time. So they got emboldened, and the rest is now history. So, the people of Borno State and the entire northern part of this country were badly affected.

“Now, we need to urge our security agencies to double their efforts. We know they are doing very well. They are putting their lives on the line, fighting for our safety, safeguarding us, and giving us security so we can sleep with our two eyes closed every night. So, we thank them.

“We appreciate what they are doing. But this is a new challenge. It’s a new challenge. We urge them to do more. Already, they are doing very well. It’s a new dimension to the entire scenario we have in the state of Kebbi.

“I’m sure this Senate and, of course, the entire government that is doing very well will also do more to ensure that we assist our security agencies in dealing with this new dimension that has come to increase the problem of insecurity.

“I condole the families of those who have lost their lives and those who have lost their properties due to the actions of these foreigners who have come to invade our country.

“I urge the Senate to support this motion because anything that happens to any part of this country affects the entire country.”

Senator Adamu Aliero in his contribution said the time to act is now if the federal government wants to tame further incursion by the terrorists.

On his part, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto South) also supported the motion and commended the security agencies for dislodging the insurgents.

He recalled that when he was governor of Sokoto state, the group invaded the state in 2018 but working in collaboration with the federal government and relevant security agencies, they were dislodged and dispersed.

He called on the Federal Government to step up security measures to degrade the group’s capacity to inflict harm on communities as well as prevent them from spreading to neighbouring states.

Tambuwal said: “We need to nip this in the bud. It is too serious for us to take it lightly because these people are well-armed with sophisticated weapons and I believe they even have some international connections.

“Therefore, there is the need for the government of Nigeria to take this matter seriously otherwise it will snowball as did the banditry from Zamfara into virtually every part of Northwest and North Central.”