Nigeria’s newest armed group declared a terrorist organization

Nigerian authorities have officially declared Lakurawa’s armed group – which waves people for listening to music – a terrorist organization and banned it across the country.

Lakurawa is a new militant group that has been carrying out attacks targeting local communities in northwestern Nigeria and across the border with Niger.

Nigerian officials say Lakurawa is linked to jihadist factions in Mali and Niger, and his fighters have been settling in communities along the Nigeria-Niger border for years, marrying local women and recruiting youths.

This adds to Nigeria’s security concerns, as it is already battling several armed groups, from Islamist militants Boko Haram to kidnapping gangs.

The Nigerian government submitted a document to the High Court in the capital Abuja on Thursday detailing the group’s activities.

It said Lakurava was involved in acts of terrorism, including cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, hostage-taking and attacks on top government officials.

The group was also accused of spreading a harmful ideology in local communities and encouraging locals to defy authorities, “resulting in injury and loss of life and property to innocent Nigerian citizens.”

The group emerged some years ago in some villages in Sokoto and Kebbi states and people have informed the authorities about its existence but nothing has been done.

At first, Lakurawa members promised to tackle banditry and help protect local people from cattle rustlers.

“But things escalated when they started wanting to check people’s phones and they would stab those who had music on them before deleting them,” the man said.

In court documents, Nigeria’s Attorney General and Justice Minister Latef Fagbemi said the group’s activities posed a serious threat to national security.

Last year, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Edward Buba said the emergence of Lacourawa was directly linked to political instability in neighboring Mali and Niger.

The military has seized power in both countries, in part because of the pressure of the Islamist insurgency.

In a swift ruling, Justice James Omotosho declared the group a “terrorist organization and extended the ban on such groups in Nigeria, with specific emphasis on the North West and North Central regions”.

The move will empower the Nigerian government to take strong action against the group.

Security agencies now have broad mandates to disrupt and dismantle the group’s operations, including arrests, prosecutions, asset freezes and increased surveillance.

It can also lead to public stigma and isolation for individuals associated with the particular group.

Across the country, especially in northern Nigeria, people fear another scenario similar to when Boko Haram emerged in the late 2000s.

Boko Haram stands for “Western Education Prohibited” and has repeatedly targeted secular schools as part of its attempts to establish its version of Islamic rule in the region.

The group gained international notoriety when it kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the northeastern city of Chibok in 2014.