Court Declares Lakurawa Sect Terrorist Group

The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the Lakurawa sect and similar groups operating across Nigeria, particularly in the Northwest and Northcentral regions, as terrorist organizations.

Justice James Omotosho issued the ruling on Thursday while granting an ex-parte application filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.

The application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/41/2025, was filed on January 13, 2025, with an affidavit sworn by Michael Akawu, a litigation officer in the Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation.

Akawu asserted that the Lakurawa sect had engaged in a range of terrorist activities, including cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, hostage-taking, attacks on government officials and security personnel, and the dissemination of extremist ideologies to local communities.

The affidavit highlighted that the sect’s activities have caused significant harm, loss of lives, and destruction of property, while posing a serious threat to national security and public peace.

Justice Omotosho, in his ruling, granted the application and declared the activities of the Lakurawa sect as acts of terrorism.

The order read, “The court formally declared the activities of the Lakurawa sect and other similar groups in any part of Nigeria, particularly in the Northwest and Northcentral regions, as illegal and acts of terrorism.

“The court prohibited the existence of the Lakurawa sect and similar groups, either as organized entities or individuals, under any name or guise. This directive includes publication of the proscription order in the Official Gazette and two national newspapers.

” The court forbade any person or group from participating in activities related to the Lakurawa sect’s objectives, under any name or platform.

“The court extended the proscription to any group with objectives similar to those of the Lakurawa sect, including banditry, kidnapping for ransom or forced marriage, mass abduction, cattle rustling, torture, sexual violence, and other forms of criminal activities.”