RANDOM MUSINGS: THE RISE OF LAKURAWA, WIFE-BORROWING AND ONE OTHER THING.

with

Ben C. Abraham.

THE RISE OF LAKURAWA

A few weeks ago, the Defence Headquarters said a new terrorist group Lakurawa had emerged in the North western part of Nigeria. However contrary to the Defence HQ assertions, a security expert Bulama Bukarti and the publicity secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Tukur Mohammed-Baba stated that the group existed before the Defence HQ announced it. The two men posited that Lakurawa had been camping in the North west for over 6 years claiming that they started entering Nigeria illegally since around 2016. They added that the Lakurawa group usually come into Nigeria, stay for few months and go back to the Sahel and other places where they come from. The implication of what the two Northern chiefs stated is that the borders between Nigeria and her Neighbours in the North west (and virtually everywhere) are as free and uncontrolled as one travelling between Lagos and Shagamu. Another dimension to it is that the Defence HQ failed to pick the intelligence on the group, being that they have been operating since 2016. Well, maybe, just maybe the Defence HQ know about them but decided to give us the usual official yarns. So what changed since 2016? What is the difference? It is that Lakurawa have now decided to stay in Nigeria and get their own share of the gains of terrorism. They have changed gear to the next phase of their operations; they are on to the next level having been unchallenged since 2016. In this phase, Lakurawa have created fiefdoms in Sokoto and Kebbi States, controlling village administrative structures, farming, judiciary and conflict resolution. They levy taxes on the people and are presently recruiting followers. To show just how much influence they have gained, recently their leader Ameer Habib Tajje sent a warning to another terror kingpin in the Zamfara axis, Bello Turji, to eschew evil and criminal activities. The Lakurawa leader said that he was preparing to send a powerful delegation to Turji about his bad lifestyle. Wonders they say shall never end. The Lakurawa group have become the chief enforcer of the law in North west Nigeria. If there is another practical demonstration of abdication of responsibility other than this, I need to be enlightened. Naija for show.

WIFE BORROWING;

Still on this issue of insecurity, former Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung volunteered an interview to one of the print media houses and in the explosive expose, we learnt new things about these terror groups and their ignoble practices. In the interview, Mr Dalung unveiled the practice of ‘wife borrowing’ by these terrorists. How does it work? The terrorists come around a settlement, community or village at dusk and knock on the doors of the residents; when a resident opens the door, they apply for his wife to be ‘borrowed’ for some time. For fear of being kaputed, the hapless resident ‘willingly’ produces his wife or wives and presents her to them. Then they take the woman to their enclave and ‘marry’ her until they are satisfied and return her to the husband. In ‘marrying’ the woman, these terrorists take turns to have sexual intercourse with her while the woman cooks and washes as a dutiful wife. This may last for weeks or months. It is when they are satisfied that they return the woman to her husband. If they are not satisfied, the woman remains with them ad infinitum. This practice extends to the daughters of these peasants who are ‘borrowed’ and returned or kept. We have heard about rape of the women by these heartless terrorists but this ‘borrowing’ thing is way beyond comprehension. And to think that these men act in the name of Islam and Islamic injunctions beats the imagination. Or else how do you reconcile a group which preaches ‘righteousness’ and impose Islamic injunctions on poor villagers but go on to execute some of the most beastly practices known to man. The truth is that until Northern leaders eschew their selfish lifestyle and partner the Government to truly free the millions of hapless children and youths, the region will keep being a breeding ground for these despicable practices.

……AND ONE OTHER THING:

TIME TO HOLD LGs TO ACCOUNT;

A breakdown of Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations in 2024 has been circulating online for some time now. In the breakdown, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State earned the highest allocation among the 774 local Government areas of Nigeria. It earned N11.13bn in the first half of 2024. The data released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that the least earning LGA, Ifedayo LGA in Osun State earned N1.3bn in the same period. In other words, no LGA in Nigeria earned less than N1bn in the first 6 months of 2024. Prior to the Supreme Court decision granting financial autonomy to the LGs, the revelation of monies earned by LGs was merely cosmetic or academic because the LG purses were tied to the apron strings of the State Governors who withdrew from it at will. But with the apex court decision and the frenetic pace LG elections were conducted across the States, this revelation could become more than academic. It could and should generate interest from citizens, civil society and Non-Governmental Organizations as well as good governance groups. With the supreme court decision, the end has come to the state and local Government joint account management. Local Governments now have the power and liberty to apply and manage their accounts while executing their vision for their constituents. Sadly, nothing has changed in most of the areas. It is still business as usual. One sad reality of our situation is that we have more of arm chair analysts and pontificating preachers than pragmatists and interventionists. It is more talk than action. Nigeria is in need of true watchdogs, men and women that will hold the Local Governments to account; groups that will keep them on their toes and make them drive true development at the grass root level. Until we see this breed of people, monthly allocations from the federation purse to this 3rd tier of Government will continue to be academic. With the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, more money accrues to the FAAC purse for distribution and that means the LGs will earn more money. And politicians believe that how this money is used is not our business but theirs. Nothing can be farther from the truth. But who will bell the cat?