BARUTEN, Nigeria — A new terrorist group known as “Mahmuda” launched a deadly attack on Duruma village in Kwara State’s Baruten Local Government Area on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, killing three residents in a strike that locals say exploited recent security gaps.
The attack came during the absence of local hunters, who are currently in Ilorin undergoing training as part of the newly established National Forest Guard, a security initiative recently approved by the presidency to reinforce protection for rural communities.
Vanguard gathered that the three victims were immediately buried by the community.
Despite the presence of soldiers in the area — deployed in April following a visit by the Chief of Army Staff — the attackers managed to carry out the killings and flee before security forces arrived.
“Our local hunters are currently in Ilorin for training on how to effectively use weapons to fight terrorists,” one resident of Baruten, who requested anonymity, revealed.
“Mahmuda people noticed their absence and struck in the areas where the hunters used to be. That’s where they killed the three villagers.”
According to locals, the attackers set fire to a farm settlement the previous week and have continued to threaten neighbouring communities, including Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, and Nanu in Kaiama Local Government Area.
Villages in the Yashikira District of Baruten have also reported sustained harassment.
In response to ongoing violence earlier this year, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq provided 25 motorcycles to local hunters to support the army’s operations.
However, residents say the Mahmuda group never fully left the forests and have instead been suppressed by the joint presence of soldiers and armed hunters.
Residents further allege that the Mahmuda group has expanded its control to include Babana and Wawa Districts in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
“As I am talking to you, our community, Kemanji, is under the control of these people,” a local source told Vanguard.
“They have not entered Kaiama town yet, but that was how it started in Sokoto, Kebbi, and other states.”
Attempts to reach the Kwara State Police Command for comment were unsuccessful, as spokesperson SP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi did not respond to repeated calls.
The situation in these border communities remains tense as residents call for increased federal intervention.
