As the leadership of Nigeria Police continues to be in denial, Emir of Yashikira, Umoru Seriki, Baruten Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State has expressed distress that communities under his Emirate have been left under the mercy of the new terror group ‘Mahmuda’ that is occupying parts of the Kwara North Senatorial District and Niger State.
Emir Seriki told DAILY POST on Sunday that “the situation is that we are totally demoralized, we are not happy with what the authorities are saying that there is no presence of terrorists in our domains.
“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.
“It is very unfortunate that we have complained about this thing earlier and nobody seems to pay attention to our plight.”
The Emir noted that the attacks are not only in Baruten and Kaiama LGAs of Kwara State but also Borgu Kingdom in Niger State.
The traditional ruler, who confirmed last week’s attacks by the terrorists, disclosed that the security vehicle bought by the people for operations by the vigilantes was bombed by the terrorists.
“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.
“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,” he added.
When the media reported on the emergency of the Mahmuda terror group, the Kwara State Police Command refuted denied that any such group exists within Kaiama and Baruten LGAs of the State, categorically dismissing the claim that 15 vigilantes have been killed by the terror group.
The Kwara Police Command described reports that the Mahmuda attacked Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, and Nanu. Yashikira District in Baruten, Kaiama LGAs of the State and Borgu LGA Niger State as false and devoid of any factual basis.
The Spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said in a statement in Ilorin on Saturday that comprehensive and continuous threat assessments, intelligence surveillance, and tactical reconnaissance operations in the said areas have yielded no evidence of insurgent activity, coordinated terrorist formations, or mass casualty incidents as described.
“The claim of 15 vigilantes being killed is entirely false and devoid of any factual basis,” he said.
The Police command assured the public that all security formations within Kwara State remain proactive and are strategically deployed under a multi-agency operational framework involving the Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with other sister security agencies.
The statement noted that there has been no breach of internal security and none has been reported or observed in the aforementioned communities, adding that “our community engagement structures, including Vigilante Commanders and District Heads, have not relayed any such incidents,” which confirms some published reports to be misleading and inciting.
“While we recognize 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,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, a source had earlier told SaharaReporters about the Mahmuda terror group attacks on the vigilante group on Wednesday in Kemanji, killing over 15 members and villagers, said: “They called themselves Mahmuda group. Their leader in a voice note is threatening all the communities. They kill and kidnap victims and also demand ransom,” one of the sources said.
Another source added: “The surge of insecurity in Nigeria has been a source of concern to the citizenry because of its destructive factor to livelihood, and unfortunately, new militant groups continue to emerge and occupy the ungoverned spaces in the country.
“With the Kainji Lake National Park left unguarded, the loggers, fishermen, and hunter groups take the opportunity and start enjoying the common good of the citizens for their personal gain,” the source said.
“At the beginning there was a clash between the loggers and the militants as well as the vigilantes, but the loggers negotiated with the militants, and the loggers gained access to the forest to harvest trees without any hitches and this as well serves as the biggest opportunity for the militant to make money through the logging activities.
“Currently, the community of Kainji National Park (KLNP), which includes Kaiama LGA (Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, Nanu) and Barutein LGA (villages in Yashikira District that share a border with the park), all in Kwara State, part of Babana and Wawa District in Borgu LGA in Niger State, have been under siege for years, and the world does not know what is happening to the Borgawas (Borgu people).
“The militants occupied the park visibly over five years ago when they raided the park and chased the Range Guard out of the park. They migrated from Mokwa LGA when they were chased away by the then Governor of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu. He accused them of being members of Boko Haram.
“Upon their eviction from Mokwa LGA, they relocated to a village called Welele in Kaiama LGA. The local government authority, with the collaboration of the security forces, forced them out of Kaiama LGA. Following their eviction from Kaiama, they relocated to the Kaduna State forest. The same group, well-armed, resurfaced in the national park, and became a monster.
“Thus, who are these new militant groups? Some people claim that the militant group came from the Benin Republic or Niger Republic. This claim is also similar to a report from BBC Radio that there was an influx of militant groups to Kainji Lake National Park. Further study of them will reveal the true identity of this faceless group.
“However, a recent audiotape record from the militant claims to be a moderate Islamist, this assertion confirms that they are a sect of Boko haram that broke away from the Shekau-led extremist group. Regrettably, the locals are gradually being recruited into their ranks as informants. They referred to themselves as the Mahmuda Group or Mallam Group, their leader’s name and a jihadist fighting to promote the cause of the Sunni group.
“The militant group mainly speaks Hausa. The saddened reality is that the activities of these militants, controlling a vast territory of 3970.29 sq. km of the Nigerian state, have resulted in the community members living at the mercy and dictates of the non-state actor. Living at the mercy and dictates of the militants manifests in a number of ways.
“First, the herders within the park pay dues (zakah) to the militants to allow them to graze their cattle. Second, the farmers to whom the militant allocates farmland within the forest also pay farming levies to the militants. Third, the militants forced the residents to work on their farm as sadaka. Fourth, members of the community are kidnapped and made to pay ransom. Fifth, illegal mounting of roadblocks along the community, and regulating the social activities, particularly the sale of alcohol and all forms of smoking, and even settling disputes among the community’s members.
“Sixth, the militants threaten the existence of herbalists that they assume are fortifying the community vigilante members to confront them. Unconfirmed reports also have it that the Mahmuda Group or Mallam Group is into illegal mining in the park environment.
“In their ploy to deceive the people with religion, they timely gather community members to preach about Islamic ethics as well as persuade community members to be disloyal to the Nigerian state and also instruct that any disputes within the community must be reported to them.
“The loss of trust in the security agent to address the insecurity challenges in the area makes the vigilante group work hand in hand with the Mahmuda Group to rescue kidnapped victims from the bandits. The group was able to force out all the bandits from the park area, and their collaborators within the communities were kidnapped to their place, and ransom was collected, or those judged to be more involved in the act of banditry were slaughtered.
“The assumption among the locals is that the militant group present in the National Park is known to the authority above, but by whom? Guess time will tell. To some, it’s simply because of the sophisticated weapons in their possession, which makes it practically difficult for them to be dislodged from the national asset.”