Senate probes Niger military junta's allegations on Lakurawa militia

The Senate has directed its Committees on Intelligence and National Security, as well as Foreign Affairs, to probe claims by the Niger Republic military leader, Abdourahmane Tchiani, that Nigeria was collaborating with France to destabilise his country by supporting the Lakurawa militia group.

The directive followed a motion sponsored by Shehu Buba (APC, Bauchi Central) during the plenary on Thursday.

Lakurawa is a terrorist group operating along the border regions of both nations.

Mr Buba, who chairs the Senate Committee on Intelligence and National Security, described the allegations as unfounded and damaging to Nigeria’s sovereignty and international reputation.

He emphasised the need to investigate the matter thoroughly to safeguard the nation’s diplomatic and security interests.

The senator also advised his colleagues to carry out oversight functions in the border communities of Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi States as part of their constitutional duties to verify the claims.

Background of the allegations

Relations between Nigeria and Niger have been strained since the July 2023 coup that ousted Niger’s elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.

In response to the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by Nigeria, imposed sanctions on Niger, a move that the junta viewed as hostile.

Despite ECOWAS lifting the sanctions and urging Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to remain in the regional body, Niger announced its withdrawal from ECOWAS.

Against this backdrop, the Nigerien military leadership accused Nigeria of supporting the Lakurawa militia to undermine its rule.

However, the Nigerian government swiftly denied these claims, dismissing them as baseless.

Senate’s response and debate

The allegations were not debated on the floor of the Senate.

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, suggested that the matter be handled privately due to its sensitive nature.

Mr Bamidele proposed that the Senate Committees on Intelligence, National Security, and Foreign Affairs take charge of the investigation to prevent undue escalation.

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, put Mr Bamidele’s suggestion to a vote, and most senators supported it.

Consequently, Mr Jibrin directed the relevant committees to probe the allegations, conduct oversight visits to border communities in Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi States, and report back to the Senate in four weeks.

The committees are expected to engage key security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Intelligence Agency, to verify the claims.

They will also assess the security situation in the affected border areas and examine potential threats from terrorist groups operating along the Nigeria-Niger border.

Lakurawa terror group

The Lakurawa terror group has infiltrated Sokoto and Kebbi states. This is apart from the Boko Haram sect and bandits that have been terrorising and killing people in some northern states.

The Nigerian military earlier described the group as relatively new. Still, a PREMIUM TIMES observation indicated that the group shares al-Qaeda ideology and had been active even before the coup in Niger Republic.

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Later, the Office of the National Security Adviser’s office admitted that the Lakurawa group was not new and assured that the military would neutralise it.