Residents of Zugurma community in Borgu local government area of Niger State are living in fear after suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group reportedly imposed a set of strict social and religious regulations, including ordering families to marry off girls aged 15 years and above and fixing bride price at ₦1,500.
The development is the latest indication of the growing influence of the armed group in parts of Niger State, where communities have increasingly reported sightings of heavily armed Lakurawa fighters enforcing their version of Islamic law and social order.
According to local sources, the terrorists recently entered the community and gathered residents, during which they announced a series of directives that they said must be obeyed by all inhabitants.
Among the most controversial orders was the instruction that any girl who has attained the age of 15 should be married off, while the bride price for marriages was pegged at ₦1,500 regardless of family background or social status.
The group was also said to have warned residents against practices they consider un-Islamic, and urged strict compliance with their interpretation of religious teachings.
Community members described the directives as an attempt by the insurgents to establish parallel authority structures and gradually take control of local affairs. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said many villagers were alarmed by the development, but felt powerless to resist because of the group’s firepower and growing presence in the area. “The people are afraid. They came armed, and spoke as if they were the government. Nobody wanted to challenge them”, the source reportedly said.
The latest incident follows reports that suspected Lakurawa fighters recently invaded Zugurma and neighbouring communities, arriving on dozens of motorcycles and conducting what residents described as public preaching sessions aimed at spreading their ideology. Witnesses said the fighters moved freely through the area while armed with sophisticated weapons.
Security analysts have warned that the Lakurawa group has increasingly adopted a governance model similar to that used by extremist groups in other parts of the Sahel, combining armed operations with the enforcement of social and religious rules in communities under their influence. Recent studies indicate that the group seeks to entrench itself by imposing rigid norms, controlling local populations and challenging state authority.
As of the time of filing this report, Niger State authorities and security agencies had not publicly commented on the alleged marriage directives. However, residents are calling for increased military presence in the area, warning that failure to act could embolden the terrorists and deepen their control over vulnerable rural communities.
