The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the emergence of a new terrorist group known as ‘Lukarawas’ in the North-western part of Nigeria, which was disclosed to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba.
According to him, the new terror group originated from the Republic of Niger as a result of the country’s recent coup, adding that the terrorists have began infiltrating northern areas of Sokoto and Kebbi States from Mali and Niger Republic.
He said, “The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and exploited difficult terrains to make incursions into remote areas in some north-western states to spread their ideology.
“The terrorists were initially welcomed by locals who believed they had good intentions. However, the movement was not reported to the military and security agencies.”
He further stated that group exploits vast ungoverned areas to hide, harass locals and evade troops but he added that in order to locate and eliminate the terrorist threat, troops have sustained Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts.