The new suspected extremist group, identified as “Lakurawa,” is offering as much as one million naira to young men in exchange for their allegiance.
Sources said that this group, allegedly composed of individuals from Mali, Chad, Libya, Niger, and Burkina Faso are actively recruiting local youths in Sokoto through substantial financial incentives.
This financial lure, according to witnesses, is part of an aggressive recruitment campaign aimed at attracting followers to their cause.
Unlike traditional criminal gangs, the Lakurawa are reported to adhere to extremist ideologies linked to the Khawarij sect, similar to the beliefs of Boko Haram. Local sources suggest that they employ a combination of financial incentives and ideological influence to gain support among vulnerable communities.
Beyond the recruitment, the Lakurawa reportedly confront and expel bandits and confiscate their cattle’s in areas under their control.
