The Emir of Yashikira, Umoru Seriki, has voiced his distress over ongoing attacks allegedly carried out by a new terror group known as ‘Mahmuda’. The group is said to be active in areas within the Kwara North Senatorial District and parts of Niger State.
During a conversation with journalists on Sunday, the traditional ruler from Baruten Local Government Area expressed concern that government officials have failed to acknowledge the threat despite repeated appeals from affected communities. He lamented that residents are demoralized due to the denial of the group’s existence by authorities.
Seriki emphasized that the security crisis spans across Baruten and Kaiama LGAs in Kwara as well as the Borgu Kingdom in Niger State. He recounted a recent incident in which local vigilantes were attacked, and a security vehicle—acquired through community efforts—was destroyed.
“We are not happy and we feel abandoned by the government and left on our own, but as the situation is, we have no choice than to continue to defend ourselves,” Seriki said.
He continued, “It is very unfortunate that we have complained about this thing earlier and nobody seems to pay attention to our plight.”
The Emir also clarified conflicting reports regarding casualties: “We are just lucky that our vigilantes survived the attacks though some suffered some bruises.
The casualties we suffered were not actually 15, but we suffered some casualties and the terrorists also suffered some casualties.”
Referring to information circulating online, he added, “So that is the situation, what the social media is actually reporting is the truth, we are just praying to God to help and protect us in the current situation we are facing.”
In response to the claims, the Kwara State Police Command dismissed the existence of any terrorist organization named ‘Mahmuda’ operating in the Kaiama or Baruten areas.
Police spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, issued a statement on Saturday in Ilorin refuting the reports. She said investigations, including security assessments and intelligence operations, had not produced any indication of terrorist activity or mass casualties as alleged.
The police stressed that “the assertion regarding the deaths of 15 vigilantes is completely false and unsupported by facts.”
Assuring residents, the command highlighted its coordinated operations with other security agencies, asserting that there were no internal security breaches reported by community leaders or vigilante coordinators.
The statement emphasized: “While we recognise the volatile nature of cross-border movements around the Kainji Lake National Park, the Kwara state police command has maintained effective situational control across all border communities.
We urge members of the public and media outlets to refrain from spreading unverified information capable of generating unnecessary panic.
The Kwara Police Command under the leadership of CP Adekimi Ojo, remains committed to safeguarding lives and property and encourages citizens to report any suspicious activity through official channels for prompt response.”
