Nigeria (MNN) — Nigeria officially labels the Lakurawa group as a terrorist organization after years of violent attacks in rural communities.
The decision follows top-level instructions to Nigeria’s army to either kill or remove Lakurawa radicals from Nigerian territory.
“This is a great concern for the Nigerian government. They’re already trying to fight off the Boko Haram, Fulani herdsman, [and] ISIS West Africa,” Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says.
“The government has already been accused of not doing enough, and now you[’ve] got another group [to battle.]”
The ‘terrorist’ designation allows Nigerian forces to arrest suspects, freeze assets, and dismantle Lakurawa’s networks. However, questions remain about whether these measures address the conditions that enable the group to flourish.
(Photo courtesy of VOA via Voice of the Martyrs Canada)
“A lot of these terrorist groups feed on the fact that many of these young men don’t have jobs,” Musselman says.
“They’re poor, and [then they see] here’s an opportunity to join this group, cause all sorts of havoc in the name of Islam, and use it to get material gain.”
Meanwhile, religious minorities suffer.
“You’ve got these competing Islamic groups with their version of Sharia law. They’ll go against each other [and] there’s all this violence breaking out, and the innocent people are often getting caught into it,” Musselman says.
Ask the Lord to protect and strengthen believers in northern Nigeria. Consider providing practical help and biblical counseling through VOM Canada here.
“When you look at what has gone on in Nigeria, you see amazing, brave followers of Christ. But you also see the devastation and pain are real,” Musselman says.
“You’ve got so much violence and so much death and destruction. The only hope is Jesus.”
Header photo created using AI/GenCraft.
