From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters(DHQ) has confirmed the emergence of a new terrorists’ group, Lukarawas exacerbating insecurity in the North Western part of Nigeria.
Lukarawas,affiliated with Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is said to have made incursion into Nigeria following the coup that happened in Niger Republic that led to the breakdown of military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger.
However, the DHQ, said it has identified the location of the terrorists and would soon flush them out in the zone.
This is even as it has declared nine suspected members of the group wanted.
They are :Abu Khadijah, Abdurrahman, Dadi Gumba (a.k.a Abu Muhammed), Usman Shehu, Abu Yusuf, Musa Wa’a, Ibrahim Suyeka, Ba Sulhu and Idris Taklakse.
Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba, made this known at a media briefing on update of military operations conducted in the month of October.
Buba, while noting that the terrorists gained access into Northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States from the Niger Republic and Mali axis, said,before the coup, there were joint border operations with Nigerien security forces, which kept the terrorists at bay.
However, he said the terrorists took advantage of the gaps in breakdown of military cooperation between the two countries and exploited difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some North Western states to spread their ideology to the people.
Gen. Buba, also said the locals welcomed and accommodated the terrorists without informing the security agencies thinking that they meant well for them. He said the security agencies only got to know about the invasion of the terrorists from the locals after they started indoctrinating and imposing heavy taxes on them.
He said that following the report, the military troops had sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to degrade the terrorists.
Meanwhile, the military has said that some terrorists’ leaders operating in the North Central zone have indicated interest to surrender and lay down their arms.
Buba said the military had opened its surrendering corridors to those that had expressed interest to surrender.
According to him,”the terrorists knew that they cannot match the military strength.The options open to them is to surrender or be killed on the battlefield.
“Accordingly, some terrorist leaders, commanders and combatants have indicated surrender. We are opening a surrendering corridor for that purpose,” he said