A new wave of terror has gripped Niger State following the arrival of the armed Lakurawa sect, which has hoisted its flag in the Kemenji area within the Borgu sector of the Kainji Lake National Park, located in the Borgu Local Government Area.
According to a local source, the group arrived on Sunday in a convoy of approximately 68 motorcycles, each carrying two to three armed individuals—bringing the total number of fighters to nearly 200.
Residents were caught off guard by the group’s sudden appearance. “We didn’t know where they came from,” said a local villager via phone. “But they told us they are the Lakurawa sect and claimed they came to support their members who are allegedly being harassed.”
The terror group’s incursion began at the Olli River, where they commandeered several local boat drivers and forced them to ferry the group across to Awuru community, under threat of mass violence. According to witnesses, the militants, heavily armed with AK-47 rifles and other weapons, threatened to wipe out the entire community if their demands were not met. The drivers were compelled to transport the insurgents in groups to avoid any accidents, as the fighters warned that any mishap would lead to severe consequences for the local population.
From Awuru, the sect moved to Kada Olli village, where a masked man on a motorbike met them and guided the group into the forest near Kemenji village, deep inside the national park.
On their way, the terrorists unleashed violence on innocent civilians. Three men working on their farms were brutally slaughtered without provocation, while a woman was shot in the head and died instantly. Community members later recovered the bodies after the militants had moved deeper into the forest.
Security operatives in the region were alerted, prompting an aerial surveillance operation on Monday. However, by the time the helicopter arrived, the sect had already vanished into the dense forest.
This development marks a disturbing resurgence of terrorist activity in Niger State, reminiscent of the 2021 incident when Boko Haram militants hoisted their flag in Kaore, Shiroro Local Government Area. The then-Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, had raised alarm over the group’s attempt to establish a base close to Abuja, warning of the potential threat to the nation’s capital due to its proximity—just a two-hour drive away.
Despite the severity of the current situation, no official statement has been issued by either the Niger State Government or the state police command as of press time.
The Lakurawa sect’s bold occupation of the national park raises urgent concerns about the worsening security situation in the region and the apparent vulnerability of rural communities to heavily armed insurgent groups.
