EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Policemen Fighting Lakurawa Terrorists In Kwara Lament Hunger, Threaten To Abandon Posts Over Unpaid Allowances

The officers, drawn from various states and assigned to joint security operations alongside other security agencies, said they were deployed to combat Lakurawa terrorists operating in the region.

Nigerian police officers deployed for counter-insurgency operations in Kwara State have complained over the non-payment of their duty allowances for the past three months.

The officers, drawn from various states and assigned to joint security operations alongside other security agencies, said they were deployed to combat Lakurawa terrorists operating in the region.

They said the delay in payment has left them in difficult conditions, adding that they may be unable to continue effectively if the situation persists.

The aggrieved personnel warned that they could withdraw from ongoing operations to repel attacks by the armed group if authorities fail to address their concerns.

The deployment forms part of a joint security effort involving police mobile units and the military aimed at countering the activities of Lakurawa fighters.

Lakurawa is an armed group linked to the Islamic State Sahel Province, with reported presence across parts of Mali, Niger, and some northern Nigerian states including Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, and Kwara.

In the past year, more than 100 people have reportedly been killed in Kwara North and Kwara South.

During the same period, over 300 residents are said to have been kidnapped, while at least 25 communities have been displaced. Many affected residents have reportedly fled to Ilorin in search of safety.

Speaking to SaharaReporters, a police officer alleged that the Nigeria Police Force leadership has failed to adequately address their welfare needs or provide sufficient motivation to improve operational effectiveness.

He further claimed that the officers have been neglected, saying they are “confused, depressed, destabilised, less productive, and criminally minded” as a result of their conditions.

“We, the police officers posted to Woro, Kaima Local Government Area of Kwara state, for the past three months are suffering here, we have no food, and the force has refused to pay our allowances. They have abandoned us here,” the police officer said. 

“Two days ago, the bandits came and attacked. Five security operatives, including a mobile policeman, were killed. Up till now, the government has not done anything. Please help us, especially the police and other security operatives, to draw the government’s attention to our situation. We hardly eat to survive. Most of the officers are very sick, help us.”

“It has been three months now, and there has been no communication from police authorities concerning the allowances; we are very hungry,” the police source added. 

Another aggrieved officer accused the government of being behind the attacks.

He said, “The government is currently behind all these attacks, honestly; they abandoned us here without taking proper care of us; no welfare, no food, no good place to sleep, no good water. We don’t even have enough ammunition to fight the bandits, we are suffering here sir.

“We have promised not to repel any attack henceforth. Our colleagues were killed two days ago; up till now, the government has not said anything. No government representative has visited us. I’m tired of staying here, honestly. I will run for my life because my family needs me most.”

“The bandits are operating with drones and PK guns. I will not die for this country. This is too much; we are really suffering,” the officer added.

The February attack on Woro and Nuku in Kwara State stands as one of the most brutal assaults on rural communities in Nigeria’s recent history. 

In early February 2026, armed extremists descended on the villages, killing many people and abducting more than 170 residents. 

Homes and markets were set ablaze, leaving behind a landscape of destruction and grief. Survivors recount how the attackers punished villagers for rejecting extremist ideology, turning the communities into a battlefield of fear and devastation.