Jihadists gather residents, preach in Niger community near Kainji forest

Heavily armed jihadists descended upon Zugurma, a community in Niger State bordering the Kainji Lake National Park, on Sunday afternoon. The militants, estimated to be around 30 on motorcycles, assembled residents and delivered a sermon that included stern warnings against theft and smoking, as well as pronouncements regarding the ongoing farmer-herder conflict.

According to local residents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, the armed men, clad in military camouflage and turbans, arrived around 3 p.m. While the identity of the group remains unverified, local sources and security analysts suggest they may be members of the Lakurawa group, whose affiliations to global jihadist networks are debated, with some linking them to al-Qaeda and others to the Islamic State Sahel Province.

Residents reported that the fighters split into two groups upon arrival, with one securing a bridge and the other moving into the town. A community leader stated that many residents initially fled but returned after the militants assured them they were only there to preach. The sermon, delivered in a local mosque, focused on themes of unbelief, smoking, and theft. The preacher specifically addressed the farmer-herder conflict, accusing some Fulani herders of destroying crops and vowing intervention.

The sermon also included direct threats against criminal offenders. "He threatened that their group would punish or kill thieves," one grocer recounted. The preacher also warned against smoking. The group's presence and sermon highlight the volatile security situation in the region, where multiple jihadist groups are known to operate.

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He threatened that their group would punish or kill thieves.