Again, New Terrorist Group ‘Mahmuda’ Strikes: One Killed, Houses Burnt in Kwara Community Attack

Fresh fears of insecurity gripped Karongi town in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State on Sunday as suspected members of a new terrorist group, known as the ‘Mahmuda’ group, launched an early morning attack that left one person dead and several houses razed.

The assailants, who stormed the community around 6:00 a.m., reportedly operated unchallenged for hours due to the absence of local vigilantes, many of whom were away for Eid-el-Kabir celebrations or attending a security training workshop.

The attackers took advantage of the gap to wreak havoc until they were eventually repelled by a combined team of soldiers and local vigilantes mobilised from neighbouring settlements.

Eyewitness accounts confirmed to ChannelsTV that the gunmen burned down multiple homes, sending residents fleeing for safety.

The sole fatality has been identified as one of the vigilante members who later returned to escort the military team into the town.

Emir of Yashikira, Alhaji Umoru Sariki, whose emirate includes Karongi, confirmed the attack, describing it as a grave threat to the region’s security.

“They invaded the town for hours, killed one of our people, and burned houses. We had to call on nearby villages to help chase them out,” he said.

The Emir urged the Federal Government and the military to establish a permanent security base in or near Karongi to forestall future attacks.

Lt. Stephen Nwankwo, Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Army’s 22 Brigade in Ilorin, confirmed the attack on Monday, stating, “Soldiers were alerted and responded. Sadly, one vigilante who joined the troops was killed during the intervention.”

The attack marks another incident in the growing insecurity plaguing parts of Nigeria. Recall that the ‘Mahmuda’ group also recently launched a wave of deadly attacks on Duruma village in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing more than four people.

The Mahmuda group first made headlines in April when it issued a chilling threat to Duruma villagers and the broader Borgu Kingdom. The warning came via a pre-recorded audio message in Hausa, which was distributed to residents through mobile networks.

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