A newly emerging Islamic terror group, Lakurawa, has once again unleashed violence in Northern Nigeria, targeting Christians and advancing their agenda of establishing an Islamic caliphate in the region.
In the latest attack, the Lakurawa terrorists invaded a construction site in Gumki village, Arewa County, Kebbi state, killing three Christians employed by a leading telecommunication firm. The victims were reportedly installing a surveillance mast for the Nigeria Immigration Service when the attack occurred.
Conflicting reports have surfaced regarding the identities of the victims. While police reports identify them as employees of Airtel, local sources insist they were staff of the Nigeria Immigration Service. Medical personnel at the Sir Yahaya Specialist Hospital confirmed that three of the deceased were Christians serving in immigration roles.
Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer SP Nafiu Abubakar stated that four individuals lost their lives in the attack, including three Airtel employees and one resident. The police commissioner, Bello M. Sani, alongside Nigeria Immigration Service Comptroller Muhammad Bashir Lawali, oversaw the evacuation of the bodies to Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital in Birnin Kebbi.
In response to the attack, the commissioner of police deployed additional tactical teams to the area, pledging to confront the terrorists with force. He also met with local community members, urging them to assist security agencies with timely information to counter the escalating violence.
Lakurawa, a sophisticated terror network with transnational ties, draws fighters from Mali, Libya, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Their goal is to establish an Islamic caliphate stretching from the Sahel to Ghana’s coast. This mission poses a significant threat to regional stability and the survival of Christian communities.
“They are denying Christians the freedom to worship in Northern Nigeria, targeting Christian minorities in their quest to impose Sharia law,” Awal John, a security analyst, told an International Christian Concern (ICC) staffer.
The Lakurawa group’s activities have compounded the persecution faced by Christians in Northern Nigeria, where violent Islamist extremists continue to erode religious freedom. Christian communities remain at the mercy of terror groups that systematically attack places of worship, schools, and homes, aiming to eliminate Christianity from the region.
John continues to call for prayers and support for the persecuted church in Northern Nigeria; he says Lukurawa are more dangerous than Boko Haram, ISWAP, and any other Islamic terror groups in Nigeria.
*Names have been changed for security reasons
