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The Special Adviser on security matters to the Sokoto State governor, Col. Ahmed Usman (rtd), in this interview he had with some newsmen, spoke on the emerging threat posed by Lakurawa terrorist group and what is being done to crush them. He also spoke on what needs to be done to overcome insecurity in the country. Our correspondent, Olakunle Maruf, brings excerpts.
There is an emerging threat posed by the foreign armed group, locally known as Lakurawa. What do you know about this group?
Lakurawa, as you know, is another suspected terrorist group operating along the Sahel. This was not their first coming to Nigeria. Some years back, they were said to have been invited by some community leaders around Tangaza, Gudu axis to push away bandits that had been terrorising their communities.
It took the painstaking efforts of security operatives to send them away. But they came back to the same place and even expanded to other places — and this, according to the military, is a result of the fallout in our relationship with the Niger Republic. So it is a serious threat to our already fragile security.
As you are aware, Sokoto is one of the states in northwestern Nigeria that have been battling with insecurity, especially banditry. Thank God for the sustained commitment of the state government in collaboration with the Federal Government and security operatives, which is yielding results because the issue of banditry has been tackled significantly.
You hardly hear about bandits’ attacks. Although it is happening, not like before. Some days back, they wanted to attack Gatawa community but they were vehemently repelled by our gallant soldiers.
The locals were wrong to have invited them earlier. They should have trusted our security operatives and our new administration, which had been up and doing in fighting insecurity in our dear state. But the wrong was already done and I believe they learned their lesson. What remains now is for them to support the government and security operatives in their effort to crush the terrorists and restore peace in our communities.
They should provide them with vital information about the movement of the members of this group and all other security breaches. This is the only way we can overcome and crush them.
I know you reported the operational visit of the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to Sokoto last week. He visited some of the flashpoints in Tangaza and Illela. I am optimistic something good will come out of his visit. The late Chief of Army Staff did his best. We hope the acting COAS will not only build upon that but will also put more effort into ending security challenges in our state and the country at large.
So, we are grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Ministers of Defence who have made Sokoto their regular point of call over insecurity bedeviling the state and the neighbouring states.
The Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Mutawalle, has not only been coming to Sokoto but has also visited some of the hotspots of insecurity in the state. A few days ago, the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru Abubakar, was in Sokoto again and promised to deploy more combat helicopters to the state to fight bandits and Lakurawa.
We are grateful to them and the service chiefs as well as the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, for his sustained support of our government.
It was said that this group wanted to establish a caliphate within the Sahel, how true is this?
This is what we have been hearing, but cannot say yes or no because we do not know their real mission. But what is important is for us to act and to act fast to send them away from the Nigerian territory. I am sure our security operatives are working towards that.
This is why I always hammer on community support. Their support is key to the elimination of this group and all other security breaches. They should not fold their arms, thinking that this is a government business. Everyone is a stakeholder in maintaining peace and order in his immediate community, local government, state, and country at large.
What is your government doing about the situation?
As you know, our government is very much concerned about the lives and properties of its people. This is why security tops the nine-point agenda of His Excellency, Dr Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto. Since the inception of this administration, our government has been providing logistics support to security operatives.
We provided tens of operational vehicles, including motorcycles to security agencies. We restored their allowances in addition to other measures taken, like the creation of the state-owned security outfit which we called the Sokoto State Community Guards and they were equipped. Their role is to support the conventional security agencies in the area of intelligence, among others.
The state government has inaugurated a security community under the leadership of the deputy governor of the state. The committee comprises security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, among other stakeholders in security. In fact, even the latest news about the Lakurawa was broken by the deputy governor while receiving members of the National Defence College some days ago.
If you can remember, the Minister of State for Defence, during his working visit to Sokoto, had disclosed the kind of pressure mounted on the Federal Government by the state government on the need to come to their aid. The federal government has promised to establish more military formations and deploy more personnel as well as equipment to Sokoto state. And remember, the state government has provided the facility for the air component of operation ‘Fansan Yamma’. Now we do not need to wait for fighter jets to come from Katsina in case of any emergency or air support.
So, there has been investment in security infrastructure, including the establishment of more security outposts and the upgrade of surveillance systems in key locations.
The Sokoto State government has strengthened partnerships with federal security agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to tackling security challenges. Similarly, the government has launched public awareness campaigns with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to educate citizens on security issues and encourage them to report suspicious activities.
There were also programmes aimed at empowering youths to discourage their involvement in crime and violence. The government has set up a conflict resolution mechanism to address disputes before they escalate into violence, promoting peace in communities just as it has been mediating between farmers and herdsmen to reduce conflicts over lands and resources, which can lead to insecurity.
There has been massive investment in social welfare aimed at alleviating poverty, which is often the root cause of insecurity. We hold regular security meetings with stakeholders to assess the security situation and develop strategies for improvement.
The state government is doing its best to protect the lives and properties of its citizens. What we want is constant support and prayers so that our efforts will continue to yield positive results.
People have been hearing all these efforts being made by the state government and security agencies. But, why is it that these problems keep persisting?
There are many reasons we are still having security challenges despite all the measures put in place by various governments. No matter how much you are spending on security, as long as inter-agency rivalry still exists, you will not get it right. Our problem is that we need more synergy or collaboration among our security operatives and our traditional rulers.
What I mean by synergy, just like how one scholar put it, refers to the idea of multiple organisations, departments, or teams working together to produce something of value. In the context of security, synergy can refer to data synergy, combining data from various security measures, such as access control and fire alarms, to identify vulnerabilities, patterns, or anomalies. This data-driven approach can help organisations improve their security measures.
Synergy is all-inclusive. It means putting efforts together to achieve a common goal. It means intelligent sharing because we have different security agencies with different responsibilities. We have the military, border security, and police who are everywhere. We have the Civil Defence Corps, the SSS, and registered vigilantes, among others. All these are stakeholders in security and have a role to play in combatting security challenges in the country.
So, there should be a synergy between them. They must work together in intelligence gathering and sharing in fighting internal and transborder crimes. Without synergy, I do not think we can achieve the desired result of eliminating terrorists and any security threat in our country.
Are there other things that are needed to end these security challenges?
Yes, of course. Our security agencies, especially the military, need modern equipment. The country needs more security personnel and effective border policies and surveillance. One will also understand that insecurity is a product of poverty, unemployment, corruption, inequality, poor government policies by the former administration, and also weak judicial system.
All this need to be addressed to achieve a feeling of lasting and sustainable peace in the country.
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