Intelligence Brief: Emergence of a New Terror Group - Known as'Mahmuda'- in Nigeria
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A previously unidentified armed group known as Mahmuda has emerged as a significant terrorist threat in North-Central Nigeria. Active across communities within Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP) — a sprawling ecological and strategic corridor linking Kwara and Niger States — the group has rapidly established territorial influence, employing tactics consistent with organised jihadist and criminal insurgencies.
Confirmed intelligence indicates Mahmuda’s operational capacity includes mass casualty attacks, kidnappings for ransom, and direct challenges to local vigilante forces, especially within Kaiama Local Government Area (Kwara State) and Borgu Local Government Area (Niger State). The recent killing of over 15 vigilantes and civilians in Kemanji underscores the group’s growing lethality.
This report offers a comprehensive intelligence analysis of the Mahmuda group, its area of operations, tactical behaviour, possible affiliations, and strategic implications for regional and national security, as well as for West African counterterrorism efforts.