A new extremist group, identified as “Lakurawa,” has reportedly begun recruiting young men in northern Nigeria by offering financial incentives of up to one million naira (approximately $1,300), sources told Zagazola Makama on Thursday.
The group, which is believed to include individuals from several West African countries including Mali, Chad, Libya, Niger, and Burkina Faso, is actively targeting local youths in Sokoto state with substantial payments in exchange for their allegiance, witnesses said.
According to sources, the recruitment campaign is not only financially motivated but is also driven by ideological influence.
The Lakurawa group is said to follow extremist ideologies linked to the Khawarij sect, similar to those espoused by Boko Haram, and aims to attract vulnerable communities through a combination of financial offers and radical beliefs.
In addition to their recruitment efforts, the Lakurawa are reportedly taking an active role in confronting and expelling local bandits from areas under their control.
They are also said to be seizing cattle from these bandits as part of their operations.
Despite these activities, the Lakurawa group has yet to carry out any known attacks in Nigeria’s northwest region.
The emergence of Lakurawa highlights growing concerns about the spread of extremist influence in the Sahel and its potential to destabilize Nigeria’s already volatile northern regions.