A new extremist group known as Lakurawa is reportedly offering up to one million naira to young men in Sokoto to secure their allegiance. This alarming trend was disclosed on Saturday by Zagazola Makama, a counterterrorism expert in the Lake Chad Basin, via his X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to Makama, sources revealed that Lakurawa, allegedly comprised of individuals from Mali, Chad, Libya, Niger, and Burkina Faso, has launched a strategic recruitment campaign targeting local youths through substantial financial incentives. The group is said to promote extremist ideologies similar to those of Boko Haram and adheres to beliefs linked to the Khawarij sect.
Makama shared that the group reportedly combines financial incentives with ideological messaging to attract vulnerable communities. Additionally, Lakurawa is known to confront and expel bandits in areas they control, confiscating their cattle.
Currently, no attacks have been attributed to the Lakurawa group in the Northwest region, though their recruitment and presence have raised security concerns among experts and local authorities.
