FEATURES
Mr Demola Lagbaja, the head of Lagbaja Family of Ilobu Kingdom in Osun State, has revealed that the deceased Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoheed Lagbaja, did not enjoy life outside the military.
The family head spoke on Monday while receiving the St. Charles Grammar School, Osogbo, Old Boys Association, who paid a condolence visit to the Lagbaja family house in Ibadan on Monday.
He said that the family expected that their late son would, after serving his tenure, retire to enjoy the fruit of his labour.
Lagbaja said the family had submitted to the will of God following the incident, saying that “some tears will never dry.”
He noted that the late Chief of Army Staff had all his active years in the military, having completed his A-level at the Polytechnic.
“That was our wish, which never came. What happened has happened. We have to submit to the will of God, but we are very proud of our son, for he made us proud. All we can wish him is to rest in peace,” Lagbaja said.
The head of the Lagbaja family appreciated the association for the visit, adding that their late son had been well spoken of since his demise.
Speaking earlier, the delegation led by the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the school, Mr Sola Omopo, on behalf of members of the Ibadan branch of the association, presented a condolence letter to the family.
Omopo eulogised the deceased, saying he had done well for the school and was a proud and financial member until he passed on.
“He was building a very standard project of about N550m for the school, which is about 80 per cent completion.
“When we heard the news, it was very shocking for all of us both in Nigeria and the diaspora, hence the decision to pay a condolences visit to the family,” he said.
Recall that the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoheed Lagbaja died on November 5 at the age of 56.
(NAN)
Tinubu’s Representation at Arab-Islamic Summit Offensive, Impeachable Offense – APC Chieftain
AFOLABI
President Bola Tinubu has been faulted for attending the Arab-Islamic Summit in Saudi Arabia.
Charles Udeogaranya, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant described Tinubu's attendance at the meeting as a gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has secured an agreement with Dangote Petroleum Refinery to lift products directly.
This, according to the association, will ensure the availability of petroleum to Nigerians at a cheaper rate.
I Have Forgiven Everyone Who Offended Me – MC Oluomo Pens Heartfelt Note Online After Becoming NURTW Chairman
AFOLABI
Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo, the newly appointed chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW has celebrated his new position.
He took to social media to make promises and also forgive those who wronged him.
Recall that MC Oluomo was over the weekend announced as the new chairman of the transport union in Nigeria.
In an Instagram post, he expressed profound gratitude to God for the achievement.
Reality star, Tacha has corrected a fan who stated that men are easy to get.
In an exchange on X, Tacha agreed that men may be easy to get, but a good man is hard to come by.
The lady had claimed, "Being single is a choice for women, there's no such thing as she can't get a man.
A man is by far the easiest thing to get.?"
Reacting, Tacha wrote:
"Got you, but yea finding a good man isn’t as simple as some make it seem, but being single is deff a choice. It’s not that a woman ‘can’t’ get a man—come on, men are everywhere! But a man who genuinely adds value? Now that’s different. Women know their worth, and sometimes, staying single is the best way to keep our standards where they should be."
See post below:
Two months after the damage to the correctional facility in Borno State, following the September 10 flooding, 278 escapees are still missing.
The PUNCH had reported that Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, witnessed severe flooding in September, which led to the destruction of critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals and the medium security custodial centre, where a total of 281 prisoners fled for their safety.
The Spokesperson of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Abubakar Umar, who confirmed the missing escapees, said: “The flood brought down the walls of the correctional facilities, including the medium security custodial centre, Maiduguri, as well as the staff quarters in the city.”
He added, “Upon the evacuation of inmates by officers of the service, with support from sister security agencies to a safe and secure facility, 281 inmates were observed to be missing.”
After the jailbreak, the state police command confirmed the arrest of three escapees.
In separate statements, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, revealed the three re-arrested escapees as Auwalu Aminu, Abubakar Mohammed and Kyari Kur.
One of the statements read: “Kur was apprehended on October 10 after police at Gubio Divisional Headquarters received credible intelligence about his whereabouts. Daso said that the police acted swiftly and arrested him in Gubio town.”
Another statement read, “The rearrest of Muhammed was facilitated when on September 15, 2024, at about 1500HRS, a resident of Bulakara Ward, Gubio LGA, alerted the police after sighting Abubakar in Gubio town, following his escape from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Maiduguri. Following a swift response by a police patrol team, the escaped convict was apprehended.”
In a separate statement, the police said, “Auwalu was apprehended on October 16, 2024, by police officers from Bama Area Command/Banki Divisional Headquarters, following a tip-off that Aminu was spotted in Banki town.”
In an interview with The PUNCH in Maiduguri on Monday, Daso said the police were still on intensive search operations to get the remaining escapees.
“Efforts are still ongoing to arrest the other fleeing suspects, and we will ensure that we will keep on highlighting to the public our breakthroughs and achievements,” he said.
According to him, the re-arrested convict had been handed over to the correctional service in the state.
“Not less than four suspects have been re-arrested so far and handed over to the correctional service,” he confirmed.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has stopped importing refined petroleum products and is now off-taking fuel from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other local refineries.
NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, disclosed this on Monday at the ongoing conference of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, which was held in Lagos and themed ‘Resolving the Nigerian Energy Trilemma: Energy Security, Sustainable Growth and Affordability’.
This is coming at a time when some petroleum marketers insisted that they would import petroleum products and sell at a price lesser than that of the $20bn dollar refinery.
In August, President Bola Tinubu said the country spent an average of N2tn on fuel importation monthly.
According to Tinubu, the launch of compressed natural gas into the country would save the country “over N2tn a month used to import PMS and AGO and free up our resources for more investment in healthcare and gas education.”
The President’s statement means that the country spends about N24tn yearly to import petrol and diesel, excluding aviation fuel, kerosene, and gas.
Despite being an oil-producing country, Nigeria has for years imported its fuels due to a lack of local refineries.
Speaking at the NAPE Conference, Kyari disclosed that the NNPC, as of today, is not importing any fuel as it now buys from local refineries.
“Today, NNPC does not import any product, we are taking only from domestic refineries,” he revealed.
Recall that the NNPC was the sole off-taker of Dangote PMS until the Federal Government permitted other marketers to approach the refinery for direct lifting.
Kyari debunked the allegations that the NNPC was sabotaging the Dangote refinery.
Speaking on domestic refining, he said there were several media stunts around saying the NNPC was now a saboteur of domestic refining by not willing to support domestic refineries.
“The point is very far from it and I’m going to speak to it straight. We are very proud part-owners of Dangote refinery, no doubt about it. We saw an opportunity that there is a clear market for at least 300,000 barrels of our production; we know that as time moves on, people will start struggling to find markets for their production.
“It will happen, It’s already happening. Oil is found, as you know, in many unexpected locations across the world and people have choices. Therefore we saw an opportunity to log supply to the domestic refinery, not just Dangote but any other refinery that operates in the country, so it was a very informed business decision.
“Therefore, from day one, we knew that it is to our benefit to supply crude oil to the domestic refinery, so we don’t need to be persuaded; we don’t need anyone to talk to us, there is no need for any pressure from the streets for us to do this. We are already doing this,“ he clarified.
On the request that Nigeria needs to domesticate its oil, he posited that Nigerian crude is ’Lamborghini crude ‘, so the products would be pricey.
According to Kyari, the issue of high-quality fuel should be a relative thing, saying many refineries do not patronise Nigerian crude because of the price.
He revealed that some global traders buy the crude and blend it with dirtier fuel to save cost.
He said, “We should never forget that Nigerian crude is ’Lamborghini crude’, if we choose that every product that we have in this country must come from domestic production, then we must deal with pricing. Otherwise, out there in the global market, everybody buys Nigerian crude and blends it with dirtier crude to process, a lot of you will confirm this. So, no one takes Nigerian crude except one or two refineries that I know. Straight processing of Nigerian crude, nobody does this, because you do have a gap in value if you do this.
“Therefore, as a country, and I believe this strongly also, that we must process all the crude that we produce in the country to the optimum. You can do intermediate products and sell to the market, you are still adding value. You don’t have to sell gasoline that is coming from Nigerian production.
“You can do something different so you can process it domestically, but it’s going to be high quality. As we all know and it’s very clear in the media that we are selling high-quality products, that’s very true but you need not do this. You are driving a Keke-Napep and you want Lamborghini fuel, you do not need it. So, the quality issue is a relative thing, it’s by geography, by location, and we will do everything possible to make sure that we domesticate this.
“Today, NNPC does not import any product, we are taking only from domestic refineries. But I also know that we are working jointly with the government to make sure that we manage the issue around prices if we have to source all our supply from the domestic market. It will be an issue and we are already resolving it. I can confirm that substantial work has been done and this will no longer be an issue.”
Naira-for-crude
The NNPC boss also denied claims that the company did not want to sell crude oil to Dangote in naira in an attempt to sabotage the refinery.
“There are too many claimants out there, that the NNPC does not want to sell crude to the refinery in naira as a form of sabotage. Far from it! It makes no difference to us because if you sell crude to the domestic refinery in naira and you buy the product in naira from the domestic refinery, it’s a net zero gain. You lose nothing, you probably gain nothing.
“Otherwise, whatever you do, you still have to source foreign exchange to import if you have to import. So, if you stop the import and sell in naira, what you are simply doing is just a substitution. It’s a settlement platform and we must commend the President for bringing this initiative.
“What it will do to our country is that the biggest source of FX pressure in our country is the import of PMS. It’s the highest value. That means if you can take that under control, it means that speculation around the naira to the extent of those FX that is required for domestic product supply will be eliminated.
“That means speculation will go, you would have controlled inflation, and you would have controlled the FX pressure because willould have settled the exchange rate for 50 per cent of your imports. This is a very great initiative. I should commend the President for bringing this initiative,“ he stressed.
The GCEO emphasised that Nigeria did not have energy security as of today.
According to him, 50 per cent of the population does not have access to electricity while 70 per cent does not have access to clean fuel.
“Today, when we say energy security, the thing that comes quickly to people’s mind is the availability of PMS, I think energy security is not about PMS. It’s beyond this. As a country today, we all know that over 50 per cent of our population doesn’t have access to electricity. Over 70 per cent of our population doesn’t have access to clean, good fuel. This is very true, all of us have said it over and over in the last three to five years.
“Have we taken any specific steps to close that gap in terms of having access to electricity and also access to clean fuel? I believe that substantial work has been done. And without mincing words, NNPC is left with the cross and we are humbly carrying it, proudly carrying it as NNPC Limited,“ he stated.
Kyari maintained that the oil and gas industry was never focused on delivering energy into the domestic market, saying that’s not what it was structured for.
“Every investor here, and of course the landscape is changing, don’t mind the fact that things are changing, but every investor here is here to produce oil or gas, export and make money. This is the reality. We as NNPC are left with the cross of making sure that this is made domestically available. That speaks to the availability of products for processing in the domestic market, provision of finished products in the domestic market, and also delivering gas into the domestic market,” the NNPC boss stated.
$2.4bn debt
Kyari announced the settlement of NNPC’s longstanding $2.4bn cash-call debt owed to International Oil Companies operating in the country.
He affirmed that the company no longer owes any dues, saying this was a milestone achieved following the total removal of subsidies.
The cash calls debts are funding requests by NNPC and its joint venture partners, Mobil, Chevron, Shell, TotalEnergies, and Agip to cover capital and operational expenses for oil projects.
Checks by our correspondent revealed that as of May 31, 2022, the total cash call debt was $4.68bn while NNPC cleared $3.81bn leaving an outstanding balance of $873.34m, But as of 2023, the debt according to the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, has risen to $2.4bn.
Kyari revealed that the company can now prioritise its core focus on the upstream sector, noting that the subsidy burden often forced the company to divert funds, leading to cash call defaults with joint venture partners.
He commended Tinubu for having the courage to remove the subsidy, acknowledging that while the subsidy removal may cause temporary financial strain, it will encourage more prudent use of energy.
“As professionals, just know that PMS is a major distraction to the upstream, we transfer all our resources, and cash flow to ensure that it survives and is sustained. That’s why sometimes we default in our cash flows, it is because of the distraction this has caused NNPC as a partner.
“Now that distraction is gone, you will confirm that we don’t owe any cash flow, and for us to sustain this, those distractions must go away so that this industry can now produce the energy that this country needs sustainably and affordably,” he said.
The GCEO also assured that by the first quarter of 2025, the country would have 12 CNG mother stations.
“By quarter one of 2025, there will be at least 12 mother stations that will be available for CNG, and not only that, we are also building a mini Liquefied Natural Gas plant that will deliver gas into the market and also sustain the quality of CNG delivery and make gas available to mini power plants across this industry in the short term,” he said.
He stressed that the initiative would enable cheaper fuel, cleaner fuel and the utilisation of the resources available in the country.
The naira is forecasted to depreciate to N1,993 against the United States dollar by 2028, posing a significant challenge to Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, particularly in importing essential medical devices, a new report by BMI, a Fitch Solutions subsidiary, has revealed.
In the report titled “Weak Naira and Structural Challenges to Constrain Nigeria’s Medical Devices Market Growth”, BMI projected that despite an anticipated rebound in the economy, Nigeria’s medical devices sector will face operational and demand challenges in the near term.
The report noted that Nigeria relies on imports for over 95 per cent of its medical devices, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in exchange rates.
“Continued weakness of the naira will increase medical device import costs and erode consumer purchasing power. Similar to other markets in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria heavily relies on medical device imports, with reliance of over 95 per cent.
“We expect that the naira will end 2028 at N1,993/$ from N306/$ in 2018. As the naira weakens, the cost of importing medical devices will continually increase, eroding both the health system and patient purchasing power especially to invest in essential medical technologies given underfunding of the public health sector.
“This would particularly affect high-cost demand for devices such as diagnostics, orthopaedics and dental products. On the export front, a weaker naira will enhance the competitiveness of locally manufactured medical devices, fostering growth in the sector,” the report stated.
While a weaker naira could enhance the competitiveness of locally manufactured medical devices, BMI highlighted persistent barriers to local production.
These include a scarcity of skilled labour, limited access to modern technology, and inadequate infrastructure, which continue to undermine manufacturing efforts despite government incentives.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu has implemented measures aimed at easing these pressures. In June 2024, an executive order was issued to reduce medical service costs by eliminating tariffs, excise duties, and Value Added Tax on specific machinery, equipment, and raw materials, with the goal of lowering local production costs.
However, BMI observed that the medical devices market would continue to face significant challenges in the short term.
The report forecasted that Nigeria’s medical devices market could grow to a value of N171.1bn (£344.7m) by 2028, supported by a large population, an increasing focus on universal health coverage, and the double burden of chronic and communicable diseases.
Nigeria’s economy is expected to recover in 2025, with a growth rate of 3.0 per cent predicted for 2024, compared to 2.9 per cent recorded in 2023.
However, persistent issues such as high inflation, tighter monetary policies, and weak foreign direct investment could weigh on the growth of the medical devices sector.
The PUNCH further observed that the naira traded at N1,681.42 per dollar on Monday, November 11, 2024, reflecting a marginal decline of 0.15 per cent from Friday’s closing rate of N1,678.87, as recorded on November 8, 2024.
FX turnover on the official market dropped significantly by 66.41 per cent, from $1.4bn on Friday to $471.5m on Monday, indicating lower market activity.
During the period under review, the naira reached a high of N1,695 and a low of N1,631.
The United States of America has offered a $25,000 reward for anyone who could provide it with information that could facilitate the arrest of a Nigerian, Olalekan Abimbola Olawusi, who is reportedly facing trial for the alleged murder of his child.
PUNCH Metro gathered from a statement credited to the Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal, Don Freeman, and obtained from the agency’s website on Monday, that Olawusi has also been named among the 15 most wanted fugitives in the US.
Freeman noted that Olawusi, who lived in Rhodes Island, US, was arraigned on two counts bordering on first-degree murder caused by inflicting bodily injury to a child and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
He added that the incident occurred on April 3, 2017, after police operatives and firefighters found the three-month-old child and rescued him at the hospital where it was discovered that the child had suffered injuries in 18 parts of his body. The discovery was said to have led to the arrest of Olawusi.
Upon his arrest, Olawusi was charged in court on April 20, 2017, but his whereabouts became unknown after he was released the same day while the trial was pending.
Freeman added that the infant died six months after being hospitalised as a result of the injuries he had allegedly sustained from his father’s abuse which prompted the prosecuting department to include a murder charge in the ongoing trial.
He said, “A man wanted in Rhode Island on charges of murder, inflicting serious bodily injury to a child and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution has been added to the U.S. Marshals Service 15 Most Wanted fugitives list with an up to $25,000 reward being offered for information leading to his arrest.
“Olalekan Abimbola Olawusi, 48, was charged in Providence with first-degree murder and two counts of inflicting serious bodily injury to a child after Providence Police and Fire personnel found his three-month-old son bleeding from the mouth and nose at a residence on April 3, 2017.
“The child was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated to regain a pulse. An examination at the hospital noted 18 injuries at various stages of healing, indicating a pattern of long-term abuse. These injuries included a skull fracture, subdural hematoma, significant brain injury, and fractures of the child’s ribs, clavicle, legs and arms. He was placed on life support but died six months later.
“Providence police arrested and charged Olawusi on April 20, 2017, with first-degree child abuse. He was released the same day and subsequently fled. The murder charge was added following the infant’s death on October 31, 2017.”
The US Supervisory Deputy Marshall noted that after frantic efforts to locate Olawusi, it was discovered that he had fled the country on June 20, 2017, while stressing that further investigation revealed that he was receiving assistance from family members in Nigeria.
He added that the suspect has been placed on the wanted list because he could pose a danger to children and other members of the public and the US would deploy all its resources to ensure that he faces justice.
“Olawusi is wanted for the abuse and murder of an innocent child and has fled the country to avoid justice. We have placed Mr Olawusi on our 15 Most Wanted list due to the heinous crimes he’s committed and the threat he continues to pose to the public. The USMS will exhaust all resources necessary to bring him to justice for his family and the community.
“Olawusi, who uses the alias Olekun Olawusi, stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs approximately 185 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Information regarding his whereabouts may be reported to the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-WANTED2 (926-8332) or via the USMS Tips App,” Freeman concluded.
At least N19.43bn was spent on the maintenance and operations of the Presidential Air Fleet from July 2023 to September 2024, The PUNCH learnt.
Checks by our correspondent on GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, showed that for 2024, the payouts amounted to N13.55bn, representing 66 per cent of the allocations for the fleet in the 2024 fiscal year.
Most disbursements were labelled ‘Forex Transit Funds,’ typically funds allocated for foreign exchange requirements to facilitate international transactions and engagements.
In the context of the Presidential Air Fleet, such funds are used to cover expenses related to operations outside the country, including fuel purchases, maintenance or services in foreign currencies.
“When aircraft on the fleet are abroad, payments are often made in U.S. dollars or another foreign currency to ensure uninterrupted operations,” a government official explained.
In July 2023, N1.52bn was disbursed in two tranches of N846m and N675m for ‘Presidential air fleet forex transit funds.’
The following month, N3.1bn was disbursed in three tranches of N388m, N2bn, and N713m for the same item.
In November of that year, N1.26bn was released to the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account.
In April 2023, three jets were put up for sale, but there were no specifics on which.
In 2022, maintenance expenses for each aircraft ranged from $1.5m to $4.5m annually.
The 2022, 2023 and 2024 appropriation acts earmarked N12.48bn, N13.07bn and N20.52bn respectively.
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PHOTOS: Sanwo-Olu, El-Rufai, Sanusi, Abiodun, Others Storm Tunde Bakare’s 70th Birthday Celebration
AFOLABI
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside other distinguished dignitaries, political leaders, and well-wishers, gathered on Monday to celebrate the 70th birthday of the founder of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, at a special thanksgiving service.
Naija News reports that the celebration, which was held in Lagos, had other notable political figures, such as Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat and Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II.
A host of former governors and monarchs were also in attendance, including former Ogun State Governors, Olusegun Osoba and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who attended the service, shared pictures from the event on social media, expressing his joy at joining others to commemorate the milestone.
In addition to the celebration, Sanwo-Olu revealed that Bakare’s autobiography, titled The Last, But Definitely Not the Least, was officially launched at the event.
He wrote, “Today, I attended a special celebration service to commemorate the 70th birthday of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, and the launch of his autobiography, ‘The Last, But Definitely Not The Least.’
“Pastor Tunde Bakare’s dynamic preaching and teaching have inspired many, and his dedication to service and commitment truly stand out. He has positively impacted the body of Christ and has been a beacon of hope through his efforts in spreading the gospel.
“As he celebrates this remarkable milestone, I pray that God grants him grace and strength to continue the vital work he does. May He also bless him with good health, allowing him to render even more service to humanity and to God’s kingdom.”
'No Single Individual Can Govern Nigeria Alone' – Aregbesola Demands Return To Parliamentary System Of Govt
AFOLABI
A former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has stated that he is opposed to the executive system of government.
He opined that it is high time Nigeria ditched the presidential system of government and returned to the parliamentary system.
According to him, it is impossible for a single individual to govern 120 million people without checks and balances.
Aregbesola stated this at a National Dialogue on Home-Grown Parliamentary System in Abuja on Monday.
Reports have revealed that some politicians are trying to influence voters through the distribution of food and cash ahead of the Ondo State governorship election holding this Saturday.
Various political parties are providing essential goods such as rice, noodles, maize, and fertilizers to local communities in a last-ditch effort to attract voters throughout the state.
Some voters have informed Daily Trust about the tactics being used by parties to gain votes.
In Ifedore LGA, community leader Joseph Ayeni mentioned that a prominent party distributed rice and noodles to locals, presenting it as a gesture of goodwill from their candidate.
“They came to our community with packs of noodles and bags of rice, which they distributed from their bus, saying it was from the governorship candidate,” Ayeni recounted.
“We shared the rice, while the women divided the noodles.”
Additionally, it was reported that certain political factions have also been handing out monetary presents to encourage voters to support their affiliated campaign organizations whenever the locals come together to hear the candidates discuss their strategies and initiatives.
A farmer, seeking to remain unidentified, mentioned that his region got corn, agricultural supplements, and even insecticides from a different political group.
“They gave out these items during their campaign, saying they couldn’t visit without bringing something for us,” the farmer told reports, adding that not all residents benefitted equally.
As these patterns of behavior accelerate, the election oversight organization Yiaga Africa has expressed worries about the use of incentives to encourage voting.
In Akure, Safiya Bichi, who leads Yiaga Africa’s team focused on knowledge, management, and learning, highlighted cases of offering money in exchange for votes in various local government regions, such as Akure South, Ifedore, and Owo.
Ms. Bichi shared that party leaders are working together with local community figures to distribute food and money, with the intention of swaying the results of the elections.
She condemned the practice, noting that tensions are rising as parties accuse each other of vote manipulation.
“This situation highlights the need for vigilance and peaceful conduct,” Bichi stated.
She urged security agencies to take proactive steps to ensure a safe and fair election.
“Ensuring the safety of voters, election officials, and participants is crucial to maintaining electoral integrity. Preventive measures are essential to avert violence and ensure a peaceful election,” Bichi added.
A security expert and a member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have revealed that Lakurawa terrorist group, operating in parts of northern Nigeria, has existed for several years.
Recalls that the Defence Headquarters announced the emergence of a new terrorist group, ‘Lakurawa,’ in Nigeria’s North-West.
However, security expert Bulama Bukarti and ACF Publicity Secretary Tukur Muhammad-Baba, clarified that the group has been active for some time.
“The group that is called Lakurawa today has been sporadically living or camping in the northwestern part of Nigeria for over six years now. They first started illegally entering Nigeria around 2016, 2017,” Bukarti stated on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He explained that Lakurawa members typically cross into Nigeria, stay temporarily, and then retreat to the Sahel region or Niger.
Bukarti added that both the Nigerian Army and the police are aware of the group’s activities.
“In 2018, they (Nigerian Army) fought the same group and pushed them back to the Niger Republic and this group has been staying; camping in northwestern Nigeria since 2016-2017,” Bukarti elaborated.
Muhammad-Baba supported Bukarti’s remarks, adding that the group has been known to security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), since its initial appearance.
“This is not a new group. In fact, when they emerged about 2017 and 2018, I think, at least, the DSS is aware of it,” he said.
He recalled an instance where a journalist discussed the issue with the DSS, noting that while the group was initially expected to leave, they requested time to dispose of cattle they had acquired, potentially through zakat.