Residents of several communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State are fleeing their homes in droves as a new terrorist group tightens its grip on the region, SaharaReporters can confirm.
The latest wave of panic follows the Nigerian Army’s sudden withdrawal from active operations in the area, leaving local vigilantes alone to confront the deadly group known as Mahmuda.
Community sources who spoke to SaharaReporters on Monday lamented the deteriorating security situation and accused the Nigerian and Kwara State governments of ignoring the growing insecurity in the area.
“As I am talking to you, our community, Kemanji, is under the control of these people. They have not entered the main Kaiama town, and that was how it started in Sokoto, Kebbi and other states. Our community is about 10 kilometres from Kaiama,” one source said.
He explained that the current state of fear gripping the area has triggered a mass exodus, with both wealthy and underprivileged residents abandoning their homes.
“The problem now is that everyone is afraid. Both the rich and the poor have started abandoning their houses. They are moving to the main town of Kaiama and some who have relatives in Ilorin are moving there, and other neighbouring towns,” he added.
According to residents, the terrorists had long occupied the dense forests around the area without incident. However, a military raid during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan reportedly provoked the group, leading to the current spate of attacks on surrounding communities.
“These terrorists have been inside that thick forest for years, and they did not attack anyone. They started this attack in Ramadan when the Nigerian Army attacked them and killed some of their members. This is why they started attacking us. And the Army has left us, and they have not come back since that time,” another resident said.
SaharaReporters gathered that despite the presence of military formations in both Kaiama and Baruten, there has been no renewed deployment into the forests where the insurgents are believed to be based.
“We have army personnel in Kaiama and Baruteen, but they did not enter the forest again. They are not being deployed to fight these terrorists. The only people fighting are the local vigilantes. The government is not concerned, and this is why they are denying the existence of this group,” the source continued.
He expressed frustration at the silence of state and federal authorities, saying the burden of security had fallen entirely on under-equipped local defenders.
“It is only the vigilantes that are fighting them because they don’t want to lose their hometowns,” the source said.
SaharaReporters previously reported that an audio message from the terror group Mahmuda threatened attacks on Duruma village and other parts of Borgu Kingdom, vowing to kill anyone who resisted them.
Residents now fear that unless the government intervenes, Kwara State may soon suffer the same fate as other northern states overrun by non-state armed groups.
© SaharaReporters