When the Northern Elders rejected the establishment of foreign military bases after France and the United States closed their bases in the Niger Republic, I knew Nigeria would face a significant security gap. Now, where are these Northern Elders as the Lukarawa terror group emerges, equipped with modern military weapons like drones to confront Nigeria? Foreign military bases in Niger Republic were effective in combating terror groups with international assistance, yet Northern leaders dismissed this option for their region.
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The alarming emergence of the Lukarawa terror group in Sokoto and Kebbi states raises fresh concerns about when the war against banditry in the North will truly end. This deadly group caught many northerners by surprise, initially met with scepticism until the Defence Headquarters confirmed its existence. Soon after, Lukarawa launched an attack on the Mera community in the Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State, killing 15 people and stealing 100 herds of cattle.
This group’s emergence coincides with the federal government’s notable successes in the fight against Boko Haram and bandits, deploying combat-ready troops across Zamfara, Katsina, and other bandit-infested states. However, the Northern leaders’ approach of treating insecurity as an internal issue—almost protecting its perpetrators—has allowed the region to become a hub for bandits spreading across Nigeria and even into Africa.
The failures of leadership among Hausa and Fulani elites have transformed these regions into epicentres of banditry and kidnapping. Over the past 15 years, thousands have been killed—primarily in the North-West and North-East—millions displaced internally, and thousands more fleeing into Niger Republic. This violence has decimated livestock and crops, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis and depressing an economy with Nigeria’s lowest human development indices. The unrest has further displaced herders southward, intensifying herder-farmer conflicts in the Middle Belt and beyond.
In May 2024, Northern Elders wrote to President Bola Tinubu, urging him not to allow foreign military bases in the region. Their stance seemed more focused on concealing leadership failures than on addressing the insecurity plaguing the North. Foreign military bases could have helped stabilise parts of Northern Nigeria and mitigated attacks by bandits. Moreover, they could have curtailed the influx of mercenaries from Chad, Niger, Mali, and Sudan, who are fueling this cycle of violence that risks spreading across Nigeria.
The refusal to consider foreign military bases has left the North vulnerable to the resurgence of jihadist groups like Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), which operated in northwestern Nigeria from 2011 to 2014. With poorly secured borders allowing arms and insurgents to flow freely, Nigeria faces the growing risk of becoming a bridge connecting jihadist groups in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.
Over the years, Northern elites have manipulated the shared Islamic heritage of the Hausa and Fulani to craft a unified Hausa-Fulani identity. However, rural and urban banditry—primarily by Fulani brigands—has led Hausa communities to form vigilante groups like the yan sakai or yan banga. Fulani groups accuse these vigilantes of indiscriminately killing innocent Fulani people unconnected to abductions or murders. This has provoked an unending cycle of retaliation, threatening the historical unity between the Hausa and Fulani communities.
Read also: Lakurawa terrorist group is a threat to Nigeria security, says ACF
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must urgently summon Hausa and Fulani leaders to identify grievances and implement short-, medium-, and long-term solutions encompassing social, economic, and political reforms. The National Assembly must also recognize the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s “National Question” to prevent further disintegration of peace and stability.
The Northern Elders’ rejection of foreign military bases reflects a failure to prioritise national security over political interests. The rise of groups like Lukarawa demands decisive action and collaborative efforts, both domestic and international, to restore stability in Northern Nigeria. Without this, the region risks further descent into chaos, undermining Nigeria’s fragile unity.
Inwalomhe Donald writes via [email protected]
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