A new terror group known as ‘Mahmuda’ has surfaced in North-Central Nigeria, with its militants launching deadly attacks on communities around the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), which spans parts of Kwara and Niger States.
According to Sahara Reporters, the group has been targeting areas within Kaiama Local Government Area (LGA) including Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, and Nanu as well as Baruten LGA (notably Yashikira District) in Kwara State. Communities in Babana and Wawa District of Borgu LGA in Niger State have also come under siege.
Sources confirmed that the militants recently ambushed a local vigilante group in Kemaanji, killing over 15 members along with several villagers.
“They call themselves the Mahmuda Group,” said one source. “Their leader sent a voice message threatening the communities. They kill, kidnap, and demand ransom.”
Another source linked the group to Boko Haram, suggesting it may be a breakaway faction with ties to extremist ideology. An audio recording attributed to the group’s leader identifies them as moderate Islamists advocating Sunni jihad. The militants reportedly speak Hausa and have begun recruiting local informants.
The group allegedly gained control of the park more than five years ago after driving out official rangers. Initially displaced from Mokwa LGA in Niger State during the administration of former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, they temporarily relocated to Welele village in Kaiama before being forced out again and eventually resurfacing in KLNP.
Locals believe the group may have foreign links, possibly from the Benin or Niger Republics, and some reports echo this theory, citing a BBC broadcast that noted increased militant presence in the park.
Residents now live under militant rule, with the Mahmuda Group imposing its own system of control:
- Grazing Dues: Herders pay zakat (alms) to graze cattle.
- Farming Levies: Farmlands within the forest are taxed.
- Forced Labor: Locals are compelled to work on militant-controlled farms.
- Kidnapping & Ransom: Abductions are routine, with ransoms demanded.
- Roadblocks & Sharia Enforcement: The group prohibits alcohol, smoking, and informal dispute resolution outside their authority.
- Religious Indoctrination: Periodic sermons are used to discourage loyalty to the Nigerian state.
- Underground Economy: The group is suspected of illegal logging and mining in the protected park zone.
The vacuum left by weak state presence has pushed some vigilantes to cooperate with the militants to rescue kidnap victims. While the Mahmuda Group has expelled other bandits from the park, they’ve simultaneously entrenched their own power.
Locals remain skeptical of government resolve. Many believe authorities are aware of the group’s existence and actions but remain passive, possibly due to the group’s access to sophisticated weapons, which make dislodging them a difficult task.
