By Huldah Shado
A terrorist group known as Mahmuda has launched a deadly attack on Duruma village in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing three villagers in the early hours of Tuesday.
The attack occurred while local hunters, who usually assist with community security, were away in Ilorin for a training session.
“Our local hunters are in Ilorin for training, and the Mahmuda group took advantage of their absence. They killed three villagers and fled before soldiers arrived and began firing warning shots,” a resident told The Good Shepherd Newspaper.
According to locals, the group had set fire to a farm settlement in the area just a week earlier. The victims of Tuesday’s attack have been buried according to local customs.
Although soldiers were stationed in the area, the terrorists managed to carry out the assault and escape before reinforcements arrived.
This attack comes just months after the Chief of Army Staff visited the region and deployed troops to nearby forests, resulting in the arrest of 12 suspected terrorists.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had earlier visited affected communities and provided 25 motorcycles to local hunters to enhance mobility and support military operations.
The Mahmuda group is reportedly active in multiple communities across Kwara and Niger States. In Kwara, villages such as Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, and Nanu have been affected.
In Niger State, the group has reportedly taken control of parts of Babana and Wawa Districts.
“Our community, Kemaanji, is now under their control. They haven’t reached Kaiama town yet, but this is how similar crises began in Sokoto and Kebbi,” another resident lamented.
Residents are calling on both state and federal authorities to urgently deploy forest guards and bolster local security to prevent further bloodshed and displacement.
