BREAKING NEWS: New Terror Group ‘Mahmuda’ Launches Attack on Kwara Village, Escalating Tensions in North-Central Nigeria
Baruten, Kwara State | Friday, April 18, 2025 — A newly-emerged terrorist group known as “Mahmuda” has launched a violent assault on Duruma village (Karonji) in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, intensifying fears across rural communities in North-Central Nigeria.
The attack, which occurred on Friday evening, saw heavily armed militants arriving on motorcycles and opening fire indiscriminately, according to eyewitnesses. The assailants also set fire to a car and several motorcycles belonging to a local vigilante group.
Community members reported that two of the attackers were killed during a confrontation with the local security team, who eventually repelled the assault. However, anxiety continues to mount as residents fear further violence from the group.
The Mahmuda group has recently been linked to a series of deadly attacks across Kwara and neighboring Niger State. Last week, the group ambushed a vigilante team in Kemanji, killing over 15 vigilantes and villagers, according to local sources.
Emerging from the forests around Kainji Lake National Park, the Mahmuda group has established a stronghold in ungoverned spaces spanning Kaiama and Baruten LGAs in Kwara, as well as Babana and Wawa districts in Borgu LGA, Niger State. The militants, believed to be a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, have imposed a reign of terror—collecting levies from farmers and herders, enforcing strict religious laws, and reportedly engaging in illegal logging and mining operations.
Residents say the group enforces its authority through roadblocks, forced labor, kidnappings, and summary executions. Community members are allegedly coerced into paying “dues” and attending religious sermons where the group promotes loyalty to its jihadist cause and discourages allegiance to the Nigerian state.
Security experts warn that the group’s increasing control over the 3,970-square-kilometer Kainji Lake National Park—previously a protected reserve—underscores a dangerous shift in the region’s security landscape. Locals report that militants have occupied the park for over five years, displacing government rangers and exploiting natural resources unchecked.
The Nigerian government has yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident. Meanwhile, residents continue to live under the threat of violence, as questions mount over the apparent inability—or unwillingness—of authorities to dismantle the group’s growing presence.
More updates to follow.
