Mahmuda: How New Terrorist Group Emerged; Senate Warned In 2022

The new terrorist group, known as Mahmuda, reportedly migrated from Mokwa in Niger State and took control of the Kainji Lake National Park over five years ago.

The group allegedly raided the park, forcing out the Range Guards.

According to Daily Trust, some sources suggest that Mahmuda is a splinter faction of the Shekau-led Boko Haram, but with a “moderate” ideology and links to groups in Benin and Niger Republic. The group refers to itself as the Mahmuda Group, named after its leader, Mallam.

However, the Kwara State Police Command has denied the existence of the Mahmuda group and dismissed reports of the killing of 15 vigilantes by the group.

In a statement, police spokeswoman Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi stated, “Our comprehensive and continuous threat assessments, intelligence surveillance, and tactical reconnaissance operations in these areas have yielded no evidence of insurgent activity, coordinated terrorist formations, or mass casualty incidents as described. The claim of 15 vigilantes being killed is entirely false and devoid of any factual basis.”

Residents in Kwara State claim that the Mahmuda terrorist group has been operating in the Yashikira district of Baruten, including communities like Kemaanji, Wajibe, and Nuku in Kaiama, for over five years.

According to locals, the group initially began as a religious body promoting its interpretation of Islam. Over time, the group reportedly attracted many teenagers, who became fighters and informants.

Alhaji Haruna Idirissa, a local resident, shared, “Before now, we had called the attention of the authorities and security operatives to their growing influence, and it was only recently that the military led a major onslaught against them, which included aerial bombardments, killing many of them.”

In 2022, the Senate issued an alert regarding the presence of terrorist hideouts in communities across three local government areas in Kwara and Niger States.

The Senate urged the military to launch a detailed operation against bandits and criminal elements within the Kainji Lake National Park and surrounding areas.

The motion was sponsored by Senator Sadiq Umar, representing Kwara North, and co-sponsored by Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, representing Niger North.

Last month, a security expert, Zagazola Makama, reported that a detained militant arrested by vigilante forces in Kaima provided key intelligence about the group’s movements and operational structure.