Northern Nigeria On Fire as New Terrorist Group ‘Mahmuda’ Emerges, Launches Deadly Attacks 

Northern Nigeria On Fire as New Terrorist Group ‘Mahmuda’ Emerges, Launches Deadly Attacks 

 

 

 

A new and dangerous chapter in Nigeria’s ongoing battle with insecurity has emerged as a previously unknown terrorist group, identified as Mahmuda, launched a series of coordinated attacks across multiple communities in Kwara and Niger States.

 

The group, believed to have been operating quietly in the dense forests of Baruten Local Government Area (LGA), Kwara State, struck in the early hours of Tuesday, June 3.

 

According to reports by Sahara Reporters and confirmed by local eyewitnesses, the assault on Duruma village left at least three people dead and scores displaced.

 

The violence quickly spread beyond Duruma. Communities in Kaiama LGA — including Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, and Nanu — were also targeted, with locals reporting widespread fear and property destruction. Villages in the Yashikira District of Baruten LGA also came under fire in what appears to be a well-planned and expanding campaign of terror.

 

The situation escalated further as attacks spilled into neighboring Niger State. Residents of Babana and Wawa Districts in Borgu LGA confirmed to local journalists that Mahmuda militants stormed their areas in what seemed to be a synchronized cross-border operation.

 

“Everyone is living in fear — rich or poor, it doesn’t matter,” said one resident of Kemaanji, who requested anonymity for safety reasons. “Their presence has changed everything. People are abandoning their homes. Our lives have been turned upside down overnight.”

 

Local accounts suggest that Mahmuda fighters had lived largely undisturbed in the surrounding forests until a recent military operation during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan disrupted their ranks. According to villagers, the Nigerian Army killed several group members during that operation, which may have triggered the recent string of brutal retaliations.

 

“They didn’t bother us before,” one villager explained. “But after the Army came during Ramadan and killed some of them, they started attacking our villages. Now the soldiers have left, and we’ve been abandoned to our fate.”

 

The emergence of Mahmuda adds another layer of complexity to Nigeria’s security crisis, particularly in the northern and central regions, which are already grappling with the presence of Boko Haram, bandit groups, and other insurgents.

 

So far, there has been no official response from Nigeria’s security agencies regarding the Mahmuda attacks or what steps are being taken to contain the violence. The silence has only deepened the sense of fear and abandonment felt by residents.

 

“We need urgent help,” said a youth leader in Baruten LGA. “If this continues unchecked, more lives will be lost, and entire communities could be wiped out.”

 

With displaced families on the move and the specter of more attacks looming, calls are growing louder for federal and state authorities to take decisive action to restore order — and hope — to a region now under siege.