This latest brief from UNIDIR's Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project provides an overview of a resurgent armed group in the North West of Nigeria, 'the Lakurawa'.
This brief provides background on the little-known Lakurawa, and draws on quantitative research conducted across the North West of Nigeria from January to February 2025 which gathered perspectives from 2,236 community members across Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara. Valuable lessons can be drawn from the the group's rise as it exemplifies the potential dangers of grassroots security solutions, if they evolve into threats themselves.
Citation: United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, "The Lakurawa: North West Nigeria’s ‘Newest’ Threat", UNIDIR, Geneva, 2025.