The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, has stated that any member of the Lakurawa terrorist group encountered by Nigerian troops will be eliminated.
Musa made this remark following a court order designating Lakurawa as a terrorist organization.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, proscribed the Lakurawa sect and similar groups across Nigeria. The ruling came after an ex-parte application filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, which declared the group a terrorist organization.
In response, Musa emphasized that the proscription grants Nigerian troops the legal authority to target and eliminate Lakurawa members.
Appearing on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Musa said: “It makes a lot of difference, and it means we can go after them with full force.
“With the proscription of the Lakurawa sect as a terror group, there is a legal backing to actively eradicate them. Any Lakurawa member seen now is as good as dead.”
Musa also criticized Boko Haram for using civilians as human shields.
“This Boko Haram thing is a lot; they have realized that we obey international law, they don’t. What do they do?
“They use human shields anytime they have something; they hide among the people so we can’t shoot,” he added.
