By Darlington Onedibe
Panic has gripped several communities in Niger State following an invasion by the Lakurawa terrorist group, who have begun openly preaching extremist ideologies and warning residents to submit to their doctrine or face imminent attacks.
​Local sources report that heavily armed members of the group stormed villages over the weekend, converging on public spaces to declare their presence. Unlike hit-and-run bandits, the insurgents have reportedly taken a tactical approach, attempting to enforce their strict religious mandates directly on the civilian population.
​According to community leaders who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the terrorists delivered a chilling ultimatum during their open-air preachings: accept their extremist ideology and cooperate with their leadership, or risk coordinated assaults on their villages.
​”They came in large numbers, well-armed, and gathered the people,” a local resident recounted. “They told us they are not here to play. They preached their ideology openly and made it clear that anyone who rejects their teachings or reports them to security agencies will face severe consequences.”
​The Lakurawa group, which recently gained prominence after launching deadly incursions in Nigeria’s northwest zone, appears to be expanding its operational footprint southward into Niger State. Their strategy combines aggressive ideological indoctrination with the looming threat of violence to establish territorial control over vulnerable rural communities.
​The open defiance of the group has triggered widespread fear, forcing some residents to flee their homes while others remain trapped under the strict surveillance of the militants.
​Local authorities and state security agencies have been alerted to the development. While military operations have intensified in parts of the region to curb the spread of insurgency, residents are urgently appealing to the Federal Government for an immediate and permanent security deployment to prevent the Lakurawa group from establishing a permanent stronghold in Niger State.
