Ribadu: Lakurawa making a mistake — nobody dares Tinubu and wins

Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), says security agencies will flush out the Lakurawa terrorist group in the north-west part of Nigeria.

Ribadu spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the 2024 comptroller-general of customs conference.

Last week, the defence headquarters (DHQ) confirmed the terror group’s presence in Sokoto and Kebbi states.

Edward Buba, director of defence media operations, said the new terror group came from the Niger Republic after the coup that led to the breakdown of military cooperation between Nigeria and the neighbouring country.

On November 8, members of Lakurawa killed 15 people in an attack on Mera village in Augie LGA of Kebbi state.

Police said the attack happened in the afternoon.

The NSA said the Boko Haram terrorists have been decimated and are on the run, moving to neigbhouring countries.

Ribadu attributed the feat to what he called Tinubu gains, noting that hundreds of bandits are being killed daily by security operatives.

“We are beginning to see the gains—what we call Tinubu gains. Hundreds of bandits are killed everyday. Tinubu gains. We move everywhere in our country today free of fear, Tinubu gains. Things are changing,” he said.

“This so-called Lakurawa or whatever you call them are making a mistake; nobody ever dares Tinubu and wins—nobody. They have come at the wrong time; nobody has ever defeated Tinubu.

“We will kick the so-called Lakurawa out of our country. This is Nigeria of 2024. And this is a Nigeria where I can assure you the critics will be quiet one after the other. Things will change in our country.

“Boko Haram, which has been ravaging our country, is now on the run. Its members are now moving to other neighbouring countries because Nigeria is no longer conducive for their operations.”

Ribadu, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event, said the conference aligned with the government’s vision of fostering strategic partnerships and collaborative approaches to governance and economic management.

“Our commitment to sustainable economic reforms, trade facilitation, and creating an enabling business environment is firm and irreversible,” he said.

“We see our international partnerships as crucial catalysts in our journey towards becoming a more competitive player in global trade, particularly as we position ourselves to harness the opportunities presented by expanding regional and continental markets.”