Terror in Zamfara: Lakurawa Insurgents Unleash Carnage with Deadly Explosion

Terror in Zamfara: Lakurawa Insurgents Unleash Carnage with Deadly Explosion

A devastating explosion rocked Zamfara State on Wednesday, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake. The blast, which occurred along the Dansadau-Gusau Road in the Maru Local Government Area, was masterminded by the notorious Lakurawa terrorist group, according to the state's police commissioner, Muhammed Dalijan .

In an interview on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily breakfast program, Dalijan revealed that members of the Lakurawa group, who were dislodged by the Army in Sokoto and Kebbi, had been seeking new strongholds. As they traversed through a village en route to Birnin-Gwari forest, they planted a bomb under a bridge, which was subsequently triggered by a passing motorist, resulting in the death of the driver and injuring three others .

The police commissioner emphasized that the use of explosive devices was a novel tactic in the North-West state, one that the local bandits lacked the capacity to employ. "The bandits here (in Zamfara) don't use bombs because they don't know how to make them; they don't know how to improvise explosive devices," Dalijan stated, adding that the police were "100% sure" that Lakurawa was responsible due to the group's familiarity with such tactics .

This incident underscores the escalating insecurity in Zamfara, which Governor Dauda Lawal has dubbed the "hub of banditry" in Nigeria. The governor has asserted that the rampant kidnapping-for-ransom trade can be eradicated within two weeks with the requisite political will .

The military has pledged to neutralize Lakurawa insurgents, as well as other terror groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The people of Zamfara await decisive action to stem the tide of violence and restore peace to their troubled state.

In a related development, the police recently arrested a Zamfara State House of Assembly member and a former local government chairman for their alleged involvement in banditry . This move highlights the authorities' efforts to tackle the scourge of insecurity in the region.