Steven Kefas, founder of the Community Development and Rights Advocacy Foundation, has claimed that around three trailer-loads of Lakurawa fighters entered Sokoto State from the Sahel region via Niger in August last year without any intervention from authorities. Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, Kefas said the influx of foreign fighters highlights a growing security threat in the region, fueled by funds generated through kidnapping and ransom payments. He added that a close associate who spent four months in captivity and was released in October revealed that arms suppliers often arrive at terrorist camps on the same day ransom payments are made.
Kefas explained that the ransom money is immediately used to purchase weapons, demonstrating how kidnapping has become a tool for funding terrorist operations. He warned that the continued entry of fighters from countries such as Mali and Niger, combined with the steady flow of ransom payments, could allow terrorist groups to expand their activities if the trend is not urgently addressed.