News
The Origin and Expansion of the Lakurawa Militia in Niger and Northern Nigeria

The Origin and Expansion of the Lakurawa Militia in Niger and Northern Nigeria
By: Our Reporter
The term Lakurawa originates from the Hausa word lakurawa, meaning “recruits.” It refers to young men undergoing military training for national service. The term itself challenges the theory that the group originated in an English-speaking country like Nigeria, as it is rooted in a French linguistic influence. The name also implies that these individuals were not just hastily trained militia members but had received structured training in formal state institutions.
The Lakurawa militia was formed in 1997 under the presidency of Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara in Niger. Its primary objective was to provide protection for pastoralist communities suffering from rampant cattle rustling, particularly in western Niger. At the time, armed bandits from Mali frequently crossed into Niger to raid livestock, leaving local herders vulnerable. Given the inability of the national army to provide security in remote areas, the government saw the need to create an auxiliary force.
To effectively combat the well-armed raiders, the Lakurawa militia underwent military training and received weapons to match their adversaries. The first training camp was established in Ekrafane, approximately 10 km from an official military detachment. The militia recruits quickly became known as Lakurawa.
Under Baré’s leadership, the Lakurawa successfully carried out several counteroffensives against the armed bandits. Their operations were so effective that the Malian raiders stopped crossing into Niger altogether. Those who did were relentlessly pursued and had their stolen livestock recovered. Encouraged by their success, President Baré expanded the militia program, establishing at least three additional Lakurawa training camps between Ekrafane and Banibangou.
Integration and Dismantling of the Lakurawa
Following Baré’s assassination in 1999, the Lakurawa faced an uncertain future. When Mamadou Tandja assumed power, he sought to integrate the Lakurawa into Niger’s National Guard. However, political disputes within his administration stalled the process. The then-Prime Minister, Hama Amadou, and the Minister of the Interior, Albadé Abouba, both members of the ruling party, disagreed on the fate of the militia.
Albadé reportedly ordered the disarmament and disbandment of the Lakurawa, despite opposition from Hama Amadou. Later, with the appointment of Mounkaila Modi as Minister of the Interior, Hama managed to halt the disarmament process. Instead, he established a second militia composed of recruits from Ouallam, using public funds.
The Lakurawa’s existence is well-known among military officers who served under both President Baré and Tandja. Many current members of Niger’s ruling junta, the CNSP (Conseil National pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie), were involved in these militias between 1997 and 2012. Today, however, these officials remain silent, allowing the junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, to shift blame while ignoring the militia’s long-standing impact.
The failure to properly integrate the Lakurawa into the national security structure had severe consequences. Many demobilized militia members disappeared with their weapons, forming independent armed groups. Some of these former Lakurawa later resurfaced in a more dangerous form.
From Government Militia to Jihadist Fighters
After the fall of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and the subsequent rise of insecurity in the Sahel, some Lakurawa fighters found a new purpose. In 2012, several of them joined the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), a jihadist faction that fought against the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in northern Mali. This marked a turning point, as former state-backed militiamen transitioned into extremist insurgents.
Expansion into Northern Nigeria
The Lakurawa’s trajectory changed again after France launched Operation Serval in 2013 to oust jihadist groups from northern Mali. Many MUJAO fighters, including former Lakurawa, were displaced and forced to relocate. Some of them moved further south, crossing into Niger’s border regions and eventually settling in northwestern Nigeria, particularly in Sokoto and Kebbi states.
Initially, these fighters were welcomed by local communities because of their strong stance against banditry and kidnapping. Their reputation as experienced fighters made them popular among rural populations suffering from insecurity. However, over time, their real intentions became clear. Their goal was not merely to fight crime but to establish an Islamic caliphate.
Unlike other militant groups, the Lakurawa avoided publicity. They did not claim responsibility for attacks or release propaganda. Instead, they blended into existing networks of transnational bandits operating across Nigeria and Niger. This strategy of concealment allowed them to expand undetected. However, as their influence grew, the Nigerian government took action.
In December 2024, Nigerian authorities launched a large-scale military offensive against Lakurawa strongholds. A combination of air and ground assaults led to hundreds of casualties among the group.
The Nigerien Junta’s Response
While Nigeria has deployed significant military resources to neutralize the Lakurawa, Niger’s ruling junta has taken a different approach. Instead of acknowledging the threat, General Tiani’s government has focused on political blame games, accusing Nigeria of interference while failing to confront the growing insurgency.
The Lakurawa are now linked to at least five sabotage attacks on Niger’s oil pipeline, as well as multiple incursions into villages in the Dosso and Tahoua regions. Despite these ongoing threats, the Nigerien leadership appears more interested in rhetoric than action, leaving the country increasingly vulnerable to further instability.
Conclusion
The Lakurawa militia’s history is a cautionary tale of how state-sponsored armed groups can evolve beyond their original purpose. Initially formed to protect pastoralists, they later fragmented into independent fighters, some of whom joined jihadist movements. Their expansion into northern Nigeria further complicated regional security, as they established a hidden presence among criminal networks.
Today, while Nigeria is actively working to dismantle the Lakurawa, Niger’s government remains passive, allowing the militia to continue operating freely. If left unchecked, the Lakurawa could further destabilize the entire Sahel and West African region, proving once again that militias created for short-term security solutions can become long-term threats.
The Origin and Expansion of the Lakurawa Militia in Niger and Northern Nigeria
Crime
NDLEA intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books

NDLEA intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books going to Saudi Arabia.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said the cocaine consignment consisting of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500 grammes and buried in the pages of the religious books was uncovered at a courier company in Lagos last Tuesday when NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) were searching through export cargos going to Saudi Arabia at the logistics firm.
Babafemi said at another courier company same day, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 2.8 kilogrammes hidden in a carton coming from the United States of America.

In Kano, a 22-year-old alleged supplier of illicit substances to bandits, Muhammad Mohammed, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bichi – Kano road while heading to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection tied to his thigh and private part with Sellotape.
He was intercepted on Sunday 13th April, while another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was nabbed same day at Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30 kilogrammes.
He said not less than 557.2 kilogrammes of skunk, 5.6 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and 29.8 grammes of heroin were recovered from a house along Major General Isaiah Alllison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where four suspects were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided the premises last Wednesday
Babafemi said the four suspects arrested during the raid include: Sarimiye Suwa, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46, while a total of 1,100 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from a delivery van with the driver, Ismail Abdullahi arrested in Surulere area of Lagos last Thursday.
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives last Friday raided the hideout of a suspect, Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria, where no fewer than 31,950 pills of tramadol 225mg and diazepam were recovered, and in Kebbi, along Bagudo road on the same day a vehicle loaded with bags of charcoal coming from Malabil, Benin Republic was intercepted, when the vehicle was search, 97 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in the sacks of charcoal was recovered.
. Three suspects: Abubakar Ibrahim, 50; Mustapha Aliyu, 32; and Bashar Lawali, 28, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
A 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was nabbed with 11.5 kilogrammes skunk at Abatete, Anambra state while NDLEA operatives in Osogbo, Osun state last Tuesday arrested Ajala Mercy, 27, with 43 litres of skushi, a mixture of black currant, cannabis and opioids recovered from her room at Dada estate, Halleluyah area of the state capital.
Babafemi said two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Ovia North East LGA, Edo state were raided by NDLEA operatives who destroyed 3,717.8625 kilogrammes of the psychoactive plant on 1.487145 hectares and recovered 136.5 kilogrammes of processed cannabis.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a suspect Basorun Kayode, 40, who has been at large for two years was arrested by NDLEA officers in connection with the seizure of 107 kilogrammes Loud imported from Canada in 2023, while another suspect, Dauda Yakubu who distributes illicit drugs within the seaport community was arrested by a team of operatives last Monday.
The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of DOGI, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Zone 13, Edo and Tin-can commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
NDLEA intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books
News
Fire Guts Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, Borno

Fire Guts Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
A devastating fire broke out at the Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) on April 19, 2025, destroying approximately one hundred thatch and makeshift houses.
Eye witnesses said that the fire started at around 1040hrs and rapidly spread across the settlement, burning household items, foodstuffs, and other valuable properties to ashes.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and the value of the property destroyed is still being assessed.
Humanitarian officials were immediately deployed to the scene to maintain crowd control and prevent looting, while firefighters, alongside camp residents, worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames.
Fortunately, no casualties or loss of life were reported.
Fire Guts Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, Borno
News
Terrorists Snatch Vehicle in Monguno, Borno

Terrorists Snatch Vehicle in Monguno, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed assailants suspected to be members of ISWAP/Boko Haram attacked and snatched a vehicle in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) on April 18, 2025, at about 1400hrs.
Saleh Haun, a resident of the Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, reported that while he was at the Gumnari Bush Area in Monguno, four armed gunmen, riding on two motorcycles, accosted him.
The assailants, at gunpoint, seized his white Toyota Land Cruiser, before fleeing with the vehicle to an unknown location.
A Military Forward Operating Base (FOB) has been alerted, and efforts are underway to to track the assailant and recover the stolen vehicle.
Terrorists Snatch Vehicle in Monguno, Borno
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