"The absence of the state in remote communities is making it easy for non-state actors to come in and present themselves to the people as the best alternative government," said Malik Samuel, a Nigerian security researcher with Good Governance Africa. The Nigerian military has said in the past that Lakurawa has roots in the country's northern neighbour, Niger, and that it became more active in Nigeria's border communities following a 2023 military coup. On his podcast in September, Mr Cruz cited a 2023 report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law — a non-government organisation that monitors human rights abuses in Nigeria — which appears to have originated the 50,000-person statistic discussed in the US.
Author: ABC News
Published at: 2025-12-27 23:39:03
Still want to read the full version? Full article
