News Editor
By Olu Balogun, Abuja
Senate has commended the military for its prompt response in curtailing the activities of the new terrorists group known as Lakurawa in some parts of the country, even as it called for partnership between the military and communities prone to the insurgency.
Specifically, the Red Chamber urged the military to collaborate with local communities to establish early warning systems to detect future incursions.
The resolution followed a motion titled: “Urgent need for the Federal Government to take stringent measures to stop the infiltration of violent terrorists known as Lakurawa from entrenching themselves in some North Western parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP Kebbi North) during Wednesday’s plenary.
Presenting the motion, Senator Abdullahi, particularly informed the Senate that the Lakurawa terrorists infiltrated the country the Nigeria- Niger border, at Illela, Tangaza and Silame Local Government Areas of Sokoto and are from there, attacking communities in Augie and Arewa Local Government Areas in Kebbi State.
The violent gang of terrorists, according to him, had raided and dispossessed these communities, prior to the large-scale invasion of Mera, a village in Augie Local Government, on November 8, 2024, killing more than 20 people and fleeing with their livestock, amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.
He, however, added that Kebbi State Government promptly responded by sending a delegation with relief materials to the affected villages and assistance to the families of the deceased.
Senator Abdullahi added that he, along with Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP Kebbi Central) and Senator Garba Musa Maidoki (APC Kebbi South) and some Members of the House of Representatives, from Kebbi state, have been to the affected areas, to commiserate with victims of the attacks on behalf of the National Assembly.
“If timely, adequate and decisive measures are not taken, this group can spread its reign of terror to other Northern parts of the country and beyond,” he warned.
All the Senators who spoke on the motion commended the prompt action taken by the military to curtail the spread of violent attacks of the insurgents .
Specifically, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau in his contribution said: “It is sad that while our security agencies are working very hard to deal with the current situation that we have or the situation that was there before these people came into Kebbi State.
“This was how Boko Haram started. Those guys came from other parts of the world – different parts of the West Africa sub-region into Borno State. And the appropriate action was not taken at the right time. And so they got emboldened, and the rest is now history. So, the people of Borno State and the entire Northern part of this country were badly affected.
“Now, we need to urge our security agencies to double their efforts. We know they are doing very well. They are putting their lives on the line, fighting for our safety, safeguarding us, and giving us security so we can sleep with our two eyes closed every night. So, we thank them. We appreciate what they are doing.”
The Senate, accordingly further urged the Federal Government to send an assessment team to the affected areas to estimate the extent of damages and to determine the immediate relief needs of the affected families and observe one-minute silence in honour of the deceased community members killed in the wake of the terrorist incursion.
In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio commended the military for its prompt response to the insurgency and also urge them to maintain their vigilance in the affected communities to halt the activities of Lakurawa group from spreading further across the region.
