Lakurawa terrorist orders marriage for girls above 15 in Niger community

*….Fixes bride price at N1,500

Armed members of the Lakurawa group have reportedly issued sweeping social directives to residents of Zugurma in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, including an order that all girls aged 15 and above must be married off, alongside a fixed bride price of N1,500.

The armed group was said to have entered the community on Sunday and held a lengthy gathering with residents, during which they preached their ideology and announced what they described as mandatory community rules.

According to sources who spoke to journalists, the fighters arrived in broad daylight and addressed residents for several hours without interruption.

“They came and spent hours in the community talking to people. During the gathering, they instructed that any girl who is 15 years and above must be given out in marriage. They also fixed the bride price, called sadaki, at N1,500,” a resident said.

Residents say the directives have deepened fears that the armed group is gradually asserting control over rural communities in the Borgu axis through a mix of intimidation and religious messaging.

Community members also highlighted the strategic importance of Zugurma, noting that it lies along the main road linking Borgu to Mokwa, a critical route for movement in and out of the area.

“Zugurma sits on the only reliable road that connects Borgu to Mokwa. That route links us to the rest of the country. What is happening there is not something anyone should ignore,” another source said.

Locals further alleged that the group’s presence is expanding across forested communities in the region, with increasing movement of armed men in recent weeks.

They recalled earlier sightings of large groups of suspected fighters travelling through the area from Kebbi State on motorcycles in what appeared to be a coordinated movement.

“Hundreds of motorcycles came through the area carrying armed men. It looked organised and they passed through without any challenge,” a resident recounted.

There are growing concerns among rural dwellers that isolated settlements within Borgu’s vast forest belt may become increasingly exposed if security presence remains limited.

“Many of these villages are already under pressure from different armed groups. If nothing changes, the whole area could be cut off,” a community member warned.

Borgu LGA, one of the largest in the country by landmass, shares extensive forest boundaries with parts of Kwara and Kebbi States, a terrain residents say has made security enforcement difficult.

Local voices argue that the size and density of the forests are being exploited by armed groups, worsening insecurity across the region.

“The forest is too wide, and that is why these people move freely. Every delay gives them more space to grow,” a resident said.

The incident adds to growing alarm over the activities of the Lakurawa, which residents accuse of expanding its influence in remote communities across parts of north-western and north-central Nigeria under the guise of religious preaching.