The Nigeria Immigration Service has reported that its facilities at a border town in Kebbi State were attacked by terrorists.
The service’s spokesperson, KT Udo, said in a statement that the terrorists also killed three contractors and a local watchman.
“The attack led to the death of four persons, including a local watchman and three contractors,” Mr. Udo stated. “We also reported significant damage to our security facilities. “No immigration officers were killed during the attack.”
The destroyed installations are believed to be telecom towers installed as part of the NIS’s security procedures.
Mr Udo stated that the ceremony extended “heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.”
“We are actively working alongside our sister agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible for these heinous acts and bring them to justice,” she said.
According to him, the department “remains resolute and undeterred in carrying on with its core mandate of border security in tandem with the goal of securing the nation.”
Earlier, the police stated the attack was most likely carried out by Lakurawa terrorists, a view confirmed by a security source briefed on the situation. “The Lakurawa terrorists blew off a network mast in Gumki,” a source told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, adding that the specifics were still fuzzy.
Gumki is a community in Arewa LGA, Kebbi State. It shares a border with Niger and has an international market frequented by people from both nations. The latest attack came less than a week after Lakurawa militants stole more than 200 animals from Natsini village in Argungu LGA, Kebbi.
PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that authorities in Kebbi identified three of those slain in the incident as Airtel employees working on the cellular mast.
According to Nafiu Abubakar, the Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Bello Sani, and the Comptroller, Nigeria Immigration Service, Kebbi State Command, Muhammad Lawali, sent agents to the scene of the incident after learning of the attack.
He further stated that the deceased were sent to Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital in Birnin Kebbi. Lakurawa is an armed group that operates in northwestern Nigeria.
It was founded as a self-defense militia, but has since morphed into an extremist organization that imposes strict Islamic regulations on rural areas while assaulting civilians and security personnel.
Its activities have prompted concerns about the revival of Islamic extremism in Nigeria, comparable to Boko Haram in the country’s northeast.
The militants’ presence is destabilising the region because they have displaced numerous inhabitants.