Nigeria’s military has raised an alert over a new insurgent group, known as Lakurawas, infiltrating the country’s northwest region from neighboring Niger and Mali. Major-General Edward Buba, the Defense spokesperson, said on Thursday that the group, affiliated with militias active in the Sahel region, has begun incursions into Sokoto and Kebbi states. The ideology of Lakurawas remains unclear.

“They began an incursion into northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi states from the Niger and Mali axis, particularly after the coup in Niger Republic,” Buba stated.

The group’s movement into Nigeria has been attributed to the July 2023 coup in Niger, which disrupted joint military patrols along the Nigeria-Niger border. Although joint patrols have resumed, Nigeria’s military continues to monitor potential threats.

Nigeria is already grappling with a prolonged insurgency in the northeast, driven by Islamist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The emergence of Lakurawas introduces a new security challenge to the northwest, a region already beset by armed gang violence and kidnappings for ransom.

In a recent operation in the northwest, Buba reported that Nigerian forces had killed 163 insurgents, arrested 82, and rescued at least 80 kidnapped individuals over the past month. The military remains on high alert to prevent further incursions and maintain security in the affected areas.