The figure referred to as “Mahmouda” is not the leader of a new group but a seasoned Boko Haram commander operating under the insurgent network’s umbrella.
According to intelligence reports, Mahmouda is a longtime Boko Haram operative who initially fought in Borno State before relocating to Kaduna, where he reportedly collaborated with terror kingpin Sadiku.
He later moved into the Shiroro and Rafi areas of Niger State, aligning with remnants of the extremist group Darul Salam. There, he recruited local youths and enforced radical laws, particularly targeting Fulani herdsmen.
Recent intelligence indicates that Mahmouda has now shifted some of his fighters into forested areas bordering Kwara State, where he has formed alliances with bandit groups already active in the North West. These developments do not signify the birth of a new terrorist faction but rather an expansion of Boko Haram’s operational reach through collaboration with local criminal elements.
This clarification follows a series of denials from security agencies. When intelligence analyst Zagazola Makama initially raised concerns over terrorist movements into Kwara, police authorities dismissed the report as alarmist.
However, recent attacks and the confirmed presence of insurgent operatives in the state have prompted renewed scrutiny of the security response.
“What will the Police say now that the very thing they denied has begun to happen?” a senior security source remarked.
Security analysts are calling for immediate government intervention to prevent further entrenchment of Boko Haram-linked operatives in North Central Nigeria.
They recommend intensified intelligence gathering, deployment of special forces, and proactive counterinsurgency efforts in the forests straddling Niger and Kwara states.
Failure to act, experts warn, could turn Kwara into another hotspot in Nigeria’s ongoing battle against insurgency.
Source: www.naijanews.com
