The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has declared nine more terrorists wanted without bounty.
The wanted terrorists include Abu Khadijah, Abdurrahman, Dadi Gumba a.k.a Abu Muhammed, Usman Kanin Shehu, Abu Yusuf, Musa Wa’a, Ibrahim Suyeka, BA Sulhu and Idris Taklakse.
This is just as the military high command confirmed the emergence of a new terrorist group known as ‘Lukarawas,’ exacerbating insecurity in the North Western part of Nigeria.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, made this known while briefing newsmen on the operations of the military on Thursday in Abuja.
Buba said that the new terror group emerged from the Republic of Niger after the coup that led to the breakdown of military cooperation between Nigeria and Niger.
He said that the terrorists began incursion into northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States from the Niger Republic and Mali axis, particularly after the coup.
According to Buba, prior to the coup, there were joint border operations with Nigerien security forces which kept the terrorists at bay.
“The terrorists took advantage of the gaps in cooperation between both countries and exploited the difficult terrains to make incursions in remote areas in some North Western states to spread their ideology,” he said.
Buba added that the group was accommodated by the locals who initially thought that they meant well, stressing that the locals also failed to report the movement of the terrorists to the military and security agencies.
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He however assured that troops had sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) to degrade the terrorists.
The director added that the terror group had continued to take advantage of the vast under-governed areas to hide and evade troops as well as harass the locals.
He added that the troops are locating the terrorists and eliminating their threat.
