This report examines the rise of Lakurawa in northwestern Nigeria, near Niger and Benin. Originating from Mali and Niger with roots in jihad and self-defence, Lakurawa has evolved into a hybrid cross-border group blending jihadism and organised crime. Exploiting weak governance, poverty and insecurity, it uses religion to justify predation, including cattle rustling, crop seizures and oil sabotage. Its recent interactions with a Boko Haram faction heighten the threat. A coordinated, multidimensional cross-border response is urgently needed to address this challenge.

About the authors

Taiwo Adebayo is a Researcher in the Lake Chad Basin project at the ISS.

Célestin Delanga is a Research Officer in the Lake Chad Basin project at the ISS.

Remadji Hoinathy is a Senior Researcher in the Central Africa and the Lake Chad Basin projects at the ISS