Nigeria’s newest armed group has declared itself a terrorist organization

Nigerian authorities have officially declared the armed group Lakurova – which escorts people for listening to music – a terrorist organization and banned it throughout the country.

Lakurova is a new militant group that has been carrying out attacks targeting local communities in northwestern Nigeria and across the border with Niger.

Nigerian officials say Lakurawa is linked to jihadist factions in Mali and Niger, and his fighters have settled in communities along the Nigeria-Niger border for years, marrying local women and recruiting young men.

This adds to Nigeria’s security woes as it already struggles against several armed groups, from the Islamist militant group Boko Haram to kidnapping gangs.

The Nigerian government submitted a document to the Supreme Court in the capital Abuja on Thursday detailing the group’s activities.

It said Lakurova was involved in terrorism, including cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, hostage-taking and attacks on top government officials.

The group was also accused of spreading a harmful ideology in local communities and encouraging locals to ignore the authorities, “resulting in injuries and loss of life and property to innocent Nigerian citizens.”

The group appeared a few years ago in some villages in Sokoto and Kebbi states and people reported their existence to the authorities but nothing was done.

At first, members of Lakurov promised to fight banditry and help protect local residents from cattle thieves.

“But things escalated when they started asking to check people’s phones and they’ll round up those with music before removing them,” the man said.

In court papers, Nigeria’s Attorney General and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi said the group’s activities posed a serious threat to national security.

Last year, the press secretary of the military service of General Edward Buba said that the emergence of Lakurova is directly related to political instability in neighboring Mali and Niger.

The military seized power in both countries, in part due to pressure from an Islamist insurgency.

In a swift ruling, Justice James Omotosha declared the group a “terrorist organization and extended the ban to similar groups throughout Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the North-West and North Central regions”.

The move will give the Nigerian government time to step in to take strong action against the group.

Security agencies currently have broad mandates to disrupt and dismantle the group’s activities, including arrests, prosecutions, asset freezes and increased surveillance.

It can also lead to social stigma and isolation for people associated with the designated group.

Across the country, especially in Northern Nigeria, people fear another scenario similar to when Boko Haram emerged in the late 2000s.

Boko Haram means “Western education is forbidden” and it has repeatedly targeted secular schools as part of its attempts to establish its version of Islamic rule in the region.

The group gained international notoriety when it kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the northeastern city of Chibok in 2014.