Nigeria (MNN) — “Kill them or chase them out” – the Nigerian Army instructs troops to either eliminate Lakurawa militants or remove the sect from Nigerian territory.
The Islamic terror group threatens communities across northern Nigeria, compounding pressures from Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, and the Islamic State.
Darrel Templeton with MegaVoice says, “This is one of the main reasons that Nigeria now is at the top of the [Red] List as the most dangerous country in the world to be a follower of Christ.”
Nearly a decade ago, Lakurawa fighters gained a reputation for protecting communities from bandits. However, in 2017, they began turning on the very people they used to protect.
Then, “In recent days, quite a few killings have been attributed to the group, and they are instilling Sharia law,” Templeton says.
Believers are an easy target for the Lakurawa because they don’t follow Islamic traditions.
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(Photo courtesy of MegaVoice)
For example, “If a young believer shaves his beard, he could be severely beaten and told not to show his face in public until his beard is back. If a young lady is not properly covered according to Sharia law, she could be beaten in public,” Templeton says.
“It seems that the government and any officials have just turned a blind eye to any of their activities, as long as those activities don’t interfere with what the government is doing.”
Pray for boldness and a strong witness among believers who face persecution from the Lakurawa group. Pray believers will not be ruled by fear, one of the Lakurawa’s most potent weapons.
“They are from and in the local communities; that’s why they can instill that fear because, in small villages and small communities, everybody knows everyone,” Templeton says.
“Our partners in the region are fearful [of doing] anything on social media that could be construed against this militant group for fear of retaliation, and so they would not have their name associated with denouncing or speaking ill of the Lakurawa group.”
Header image is a representative AI photo created using GenCraft.
