In a compelling update that challenges recent media narratives, renowned counterinsurgency expert and security analyst, Zagazola Makama, has debunked claims of a new terrorist organization emerging in Kwara State. Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Makama issued a firm clarification: “There is no new terror group in Kwara. Mahmouda is a Boko Haram commander collaborating with local bandits.”
This revelation dismantles widespread misinformation circulating across social and traditional media platforms, which erroneously suggested that a new extremist faction had taken root in the state.
According to verified security sources, the individual at the center of the reports—Mahmouda—is not the leader of a newly formed group but a well-known Boko Haram commander with a long and violent history. Originally active in Borno State, Mahmouda shifted operations to Kaduna, where he partnered briefly with the notorious terror figure, Sadiku.
His insurgent journey then took him to the Shiroro and Rafi axis of Niger State, where he merged with remnants of the Darul Salam sect, launched recruitment drives, and began imposing extremist doctrines—particularly on Fulani pastoral communities. Intelligence now reveals that Mahmouda has strategically pushed some of his fighters southwestward into the forest regions bordering Kwara, forming alliances with local bandit cells already entrenched in Nigeria’s North West.
Despite earlier dismissals by security authorities—who labeled reports of terrorist infiltration into Kwara as “fear-mongering”—Makama’s alert now appears prescient. The resurgence of attacks and the confirmed presence of insurgent collaborators in the region has triggered renewed concerns over government preparedness and strategic response.
“What will the Police say now that the very thing they denied has begun to happen?” a senior security source asked pointedly.
As Mahmouda and his cohorts seek to entrench themselves in the North Central corridor, security analysts are sounding the alarm. They warn that if proactive measures are not immediately implemented, Kwara could become another tragic theatre in Nigeria’s long war against insurgency.
Experts are urging the swift deployment of elite counterterrorism units, an intelligence-led security overhaul, and fortified military operations in the dense forest zones straddling Kwara and Niger States. Only a decisive and aggressive counteroffensive, they argue, can prevent the state from descending into a full-blown terror stronghold.
This development underscores the critical need for synergy between federal forces, local authorities, and community intelligence networks to stay ahead of insurgent maneuvers and neutralize threats before they metastasize.
PIONEER NEWS 