On Saturday, two officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and one civilian were killed by the terrorist group Lakurawa at the Kangiwa border in Kebbi State’s Kangiwa Local Government Area.
The attack occurred near a site designated for the installation of a transmitting mast aimed at improving surveillance around the border, according to community sources and security operatives.
“They came out of nowhere and opened fire,” said a local source who requested anonymity for safety reasons. “The officers were caught off guard, and a civilian who happened to be nearby also lost his life.”
The mast, when operational, would have relayed real-time information to the NIS database to strengthen border monitoring.
Efforts to reach the Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Abubakar, and his counterpart in the NIS were unsuccessful as calls and text messages went unanswered. No official statements had been released by either agency at the time of this report.
This incident follows confirmation by the Nigeria Police Force in December that the Lakurawa group was behind an explosion in Yar Tasha village, Dansadau district, Zamfara State. That attack killed one person and injured three others when a commercial vehicle hit an explosive device planted by the group.
The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara, Muhammad Shehu Dalijan, had previously warned about the group’s increasing threat. “They are using sophisticated tactics to cause havoc,” he said during a press briefing.
As insecurity worsens, residents in border communities like Kangiwa are urging the government to address the rise in terrorist activities. “We are living in fear,” a community leader said. “The government must act swiftly before more lives are lost.”
Security experts stress that the attack highlights the need for improved intelligence gathering and proactive measures to secure vulnerable areas.
