Nigerian intelligence specialist Yahuza Getso says a terrorist outfit known as “Lakurawa” is running protection rackets for unregistered foreign miners along the Sokoto–Kebbi border.
“I’ve solid proof that these gangs give cover to foreigners digging without permits—none of them appear on any company registry the government can trace,” Getso told Trust Television’s *30 Minutes*.
He reckons the racket flourishes because oversight is thin and insiders look the other way. Villagers who tip off authorities are quickly exposed and punished, so people now keep quiet. “Informants get threatened almost immediately; that’s why intelligence has dried up,” he said.
Getso blames Nigeria’s chronic insecurity on cascading system failure that starts at the top. Public faith in the security services, he says, has collapsed, while promotions inside the agencies often ignore performance. “Insecurity has turned into a money-spinner—an economic conglomerate where chaos pays,” he added.
He also called out the government for “docility” and accused it of dodging decisive action, especially in the North-West and North-Central zones. Selective justice and zero accountability, he argued, have emboldened criminal networks.
In one startling example, Getso noted that well-known bandits run active TikTok accounts, post videos, and still evade arrest. “Yet an ordinary citizen who criticises the government online can be traced and picked up within hours,” he said. “These criminals use the same MTN, Airtel, Glo networks we all use—so why can’t they be found?”
