Lakurawa militants are no more in existence in northwest -defense minister Matawalle

By Divine Sam

The Minister of State for Defense, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has asserted that there is no presence of Lakurawa militants in the Northwest zone of Nigeria. Speaking to journalists at his residence in Gusau on Sunday, the former Governor of Zamfara State emphasized that military forces have successfully neutralized terrorist gangs, destroyed their camps, and seized weapons from them.

The minister dismissed claims about the Lakurawa militants, stating that these groups are not Nigerians, but rather disgruntled elements from Burkina Faso and Mali who entered Nigeria to spread chaos.

“We have finished with them in the Northwest zone. Anybody talking about Lakurawa militants is doing so to tarnish the image of the Federal Government and security agencies,” he said.

Matawalle further highlighted that rumors being spread to instill fear among citizens are being fueled by misinformation, particularly from social media operators. He criticized journalists for propagating these claims without proper verification.

“The military is actively neutralizing bandit kingpins and their foot soldiers on a daily basis. However, social media operators are not reporting these successes,” the minister lamented. He also accused some local sources of providing journalists with inaccurate information designed to discredit the current administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The minister reiterated the commitment of the Tinubu administration to completely eliminate bandits in the Northwest by 2025, saying, “We will not succumb to their threats. The Tinubu administration is very much ready to wipe out all the bandits in the Northwest zone before the end of 2025.”

He assured the public that the security of lives and property is a priority for the government, stressing that efforts to combat banditry are ongoing, and the end is in sight.

“The battle against banditry is still on, and we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. There is no going back on the arrangement to neutralize all the bandits by 2025,” he concluded.