National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has warned that Lakurawa terrorists are exploiting Nigeria's porous 120-kilometre border with Niger and ungoverned forest reserves to introduce advanced combat tactics into the North-West. He stated the group's activities are blurring the line between criminal banditry and transnational insurgency, marking a shift from isolated rural crimes to organised territorial warfare. Ribadu, represented by Zakari Mijinyawa, Director Legal at the Office of the National Security Adviser, disclosed that 350 abductions occurred across 21 of Sokoto State's 23 Local Government Areas between July 2024 and June 2025.
The NSA said heavily armed syndicates now impose illegal levies on farming communities, control agricultural cycles, and restrict rural movement, posing a direct threat to national sovereignty. Over 580,000 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced across Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states. In response, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has adopted the National Crisis Management Doctrine (NCMD), establishing a three-tier command structure: Strategic (Gold Command), Operational (Silver Command) at the Joint Operations Centre, and Tactical (Bronze Command) for field units. For Sokoto, a five-phase crisis response framework is being implemented, focusing on reclaiming ungoverned spaces, border domination, and creating a Unified Common Operating Picture.
The designation of Lakurawa as a terrorist group and its alleged fusion with Sahelian jihadist networks suggests a strategic escalation beyond local banditry. This redefines the security approach required, as conventional anti-crime operations may be insufficient against ideologically driven, cross-border threats.
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