Security Forces Arrest Members of ‘Mahmuda’ Terror Group Operating Across Kwara and Niger States

Security operatives have successfully apprehended several suspected members of the notorious ‘Mahmuda’ terror group believed to be responsible for a string of violent attacks and criminal activities in parts of Kwara and Niger States.

The arrests were made during coordinated military operations across Ilesha Baruba, Kemaanji in Baruten, and Kaiama Local Government Areas of Kwara State, as well as the dense forest areas around Kainji Lake in Niger State.

Military sources confirmed that scores of the terrorists were captured after a fierce gun battle with Nigerian troops. No casualties were reported on the side of the security forces, though some of the terrorists were neutralized during the encounter.

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According to a local security analyst, the Mahmuda group has been linked to recent cases of kidnapping, cattle rustling, and illegal arms movement across the Middle Belt, particularly in rural border communities.

“This group has been operating quietly but effectively, using forest paths and rural settlements to evade detection. Their arrests mark a major success in the ongoing fight against insurgency in the North Central region,” the source said.

However, concerns are growing over what may happen next. Residents and commentators on social media have expressed fears that the arrested suspects may soon be released under the government’s controversial rehabilitation program for so-called “repentant terrorists.”

“They’ll arrest them today and release them tomorrow in the name of rehabilitation. Then they’ll go back into the bush and continue where they stopped. I weep for Nigeria,” a local resident lamented.

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As at press time, the Nigerian Army has yet to officially release the names or total number of suspects arrested, but sources say intelligence reports are being gathered to locate other members still at large.

Security experts are calling for a clear and consistent policy on the treatment of captured terrorists, warning that repeated cycles of arrest and release only weaken public confidence in national security efforts.