Senator Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central, has announced that the Nigerian military has successfully expelled the Lakurawa terror group from Nigeria into Niger Republic.
In a statement issued Friday in Abuja, Aliero revealed that the operation, conducted on Tuesday, was facilitated through the efforts of Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, the Chief of Defence Staff, and other key stakeholders.
“We told the minister in no uncertain terms that if we play with the Lakurawa terrorists, what happened to the North East may happen to North West,” Aliero stated.
The lawmaker explained that the terrorists had been terrorizing villagers until military forces arrived on November 12, forcing them to flee into Niger Republic.
“It’s a war that can be finished within five days, and if we allow a repeat of North East in the North West, it would be devastating. The North West has more population, and richer in agricultural land, animal husbandry with rivers for good irrigation, fishing and other things, so we must secure the area.
‘’Do you know that they were bold enough to hang around and kept threatening the villagers until our military arrived on Tuesday (November 12) and pursued them as they ran into Niger Republic?
“Our troops can’t go beyond our international boundary. But it is now up to our existing military cooperation with the Nigerien military on stamping out banditry and insurgency to do the rest,” Aliero said.
The Lakurawa group had been responsible for numerous deaths in Kebbi State, prompting Senator Aliero and other lawmakers to visit affected areas, including Argungu and Augie Local Government Areas, on a fact-finding mission.
Expressing satisfaction with the Defence Minister’s swift response, Aliero called for a sustained military presence in the region to prevent the terrorists’ return.
“As elected lawmakers, we will continue to work assiduously with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to keep the country safe, secure and stable because insecurity does not recognise race, religion, tribe, tongue or party affiliation. Security is everybody’s responsibility,” he added.
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