THE LAKURAWA INSURGENCY AND THE DYNAMICS OF STATE FAILURE IN NORTH-WEST NIGERIA, 2015-2025

Abstract

Research Problem: The security architecture of North-West Nigeria has deteriorated from conventional banditry to a more complex insurgent threat marked by the emergence of the Lakurawa group. Available discourses distort the group by portraying it as a new entity and not questioning the structural realities that facilitated its emergence, thus leaving a gap in the literature. Methods/Theory: This work is based on a qualitative historical approach that incorporates Anaemic State Theory and State Weakness Theory to examine the interplay between institutional decay and the emergence of non-state armed groups. Results: The results indicate that the Lakurawa phenomenon is a direct outcome of a power vacuum created by the failure of the state to secure the peripheral areas. The group has institutionalised a parallel system of government, such as independent judicial systems and the imposition of religious taxation (zakat), thus weakening Nigerian sovereignty. The paper also substantiates that misinformed and reactive reactions of the state are indicators of poor institutional capacity and historical learning. Conclusion: The rise and centralization of the Lakurawa organisation are evidence that it is systemic insecurity and socio-economic distress that chiefly underlie the continuing insurgency in North-West Nigeria. Contribution to Knowledge: The work contributes to the discussion of state failure by showing how uncontrollable borderlands facilitate the process of turning armed groups into support actors and opposition to sovereign powers. Recommendation: The mitigation interests should be based on the operation of a transition between militarised response and positive governance strategies that enhance state presence, remedy socio-economic vulnerabilities, and restore institutional capabilities within border communities.