A rights advocate, Steven Kefas, has alleged that about three trailer-loads of Lakurawa fighters entered Sokoto State from the Sahel region through Niger in August last year without any intervention from authorities.
Kefas, who is the founder of the Community Development and Rights Advocacy Foundation, made the claim on Thursday while speaking on a Channels Television programme. He said the influx of foreign fighters is linked to Nigeria’s worsening security situation, which he described as being sustained by funds generated from kidnapping and ransom payments.
According to him, a close associate who spent about four months in captivity before gaining freedom around October last year disclosed that arms suppliers usually arrive at terrorist camps on the same day ransom payments are delivered. He explained that the ransom money is immediately used to purchase weapons.
Kefas said this pattern shows that kidnapping has become a deliberate strategy for raising funds to acquire arms, warning that insecurity may persist if the issue is not urgently addressed. He added that fighters continue to enter Nigeria from countries such as Mali and Niger, while ransom payments provide a steady source of funding for weapons, allowing terrorist groups to expand their operations.
He further noted that insecurity has spread to states previously considered relatively safe, including Kwara and Kogi, which are now experiencing similar criminal activities.
Kefas also raised concerns about what he described as targeted attacks and alleged land occupation in parts of Kaduna State, particularly in Kajuru Local Government Area. He cited the abduction of about 177 worshippers from churches on a Sunday, as well as earlier incidents where people were killed during church services.
According to him, nearly 40 communities in Kajuru Local Government Area have been displaced, with some reportedly occupied by terrorists. He described the situation as complex and accused the government of not handling it adequately.
