BREAKING: New Terror Group ‘Mahmuda’ Strikes Kwara Community — Four Killed in Fresh Attack

A newly emerged terrorist group known as Mahmuda has launched another deadly attack in Kwara State, killing at least four people in the Karonji/Duruma village of Baruten Local Government Area.

Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that the group stormed the village on Tuesday evening, opening fire on residents who fled into nearby forests for safety. The latest assault comes just hours after the same group reportedly killed three people in a nearby area earlier in the day—bringing Tuesday’s death toll to at least seven.

“There is confusion in the community now, and sporadic shooting is still ongoing. About four people have been killed this evening alone,” a local source reported.

The Mahmuda group has been increasingly active across North Central Nigeria, with previous attacks concentrated around the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP) and rural communities in Kwara and Niger States. Areas such as Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, and Nanu in Kaiama LGA, as well as Yashikira and parts of Baruten LGA, have reportedly fallen under threat or partial control of the militants.

Sources also revealed that the group has extended its reach into the Babana and Wawa districts of Borgu LGA in Niger State.

Rising Tensions and Government Silence

Attempts to reach Kwara State police spokesperson SP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi for comment were unsuccessful, as calls to her mobile phone went unanswered.

In April, SaharaReporters detailed how the Mahmuda group’s growing presence had forced hundreds of residents from their homes in Kaiama LGA. Locals accused both the federal and state governments of neglecting the region’s worsening security crisis.

“Our community, Kemanji, is now under their control. They haven’t entered Kaiama town yet, but this is how it started in other states like Sokoto and Kebbi,” a resident warned.

The fear has triggered a mass exodus, with residents—both rich and poor—fleeing to nearby towns like Ilorin or the main township of Kaiama.

According to several accounts, the group had been living undisturbed in the dense forest near the communities for years. However, a Nigerian Army raid during Ramadan reportedly killed several of their members, prompting the current wave of retaliatory attacks.

“They were peaceful before. But the Army raided their camp during Ramadan and killed some of them. That’s what triggered the attacks. Now the Army is gone, and we’re left at their mercy,” another resident explained.

Audio Threats and Growing Danger

Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that Mahmuda had released an audio message vowing to attack Duruma and other parts of the Borgu Kingdom, threatening to kill anyone who resisted.

The group’s bold expansion and aggressive operations highlight the worsening insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, as terror cells continue to exploit under-governed spaces with little resistance from state security forces.