Nigeria to partner with Niger Republic to eliminate emerging threat of LUKARAWA

Kunle Sanni

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Olufemi Oluyede, has revealed that the Nigerian military is collaborating closely with the Niger Republic military to combat the rising threat of the LUKARAWA insurgents, who have been destabilizing the Northwestern region of Nigeria.

Speaking on Monday at the Presidential Villa, following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Oluyede emphasized the importance of regional cooperation in tackling security challenges and outlined his plans to adopt new strategies to achieve lasting peace.

On his recent visit to Niger Republic, Major General Oluyede clarified that his engagement was tied to his new role as COAS. “I am here to reassure Mr President that I will do my best to improve Nigeria’s security. My aim is to explore different approaches to achieve better results,” he stated.

The Army Chief also noted that his visit underscored the need for stronger ties with neighboring nations in dealing with shared security challenges.

Discussing his visits to military formations in Nigeria, Oluyede shared that he had engaged with officers and soldiers in the Northwest and Northeast regions. “I wanted to make them understand the urgency of ending all forms of insecurity in Nigeria. I told them boldly that we will do things differently and expect better results going forward,” he said.

These regions have been critical battlegrounds in the fight against insurgencies, including Boko Haram and the LUKARAWA faction, which has been gaining traction in recent months.

On the involvement of Niger Republic in addressing the LUKARAWA threat, the COAS highlighted the importance of regional solidarity. “We have to get in touch with them because it affects them too. When we hit LUKARAWA hard on the Nigerian end, they tend to flee to Niger Republic. Now that Niger Republic is fully on board, we are confident that LUKARAWA will soon be a thing of the past.”