A new terrorist group, Mahmuda, has escalated its attacks across Kwara and Niger States, raising alarm in several communities.

On Sunday night, suspected members of the group launched an assault on Ilesha Baruba and Kemaanji, Baruten, and Kaiama local government areas in Kwara State, leaving several dead and others wounded. The violence comes just days after more than 50 farmers were killed in similar attacks in Ukum and Logo local councils. 

Reports suggest the assailants, dressed in military camouflage and riding motorcycles, stormed a market square at 9:30 p.m. and opened fire on residents before fleeing the scene. Among the casualties were four Fulani individuals, a vigilante, and a 19-year-old who was hit by a stray bullet. The attack is believed to be part of a series of reprisal attacks by the terrorists targeting local vigilantes.

According to Daily Trust, residents suspect that the motive behind the attacks is to displace local farmers and occupy their land. One local source described how the attackers fired at the Fulani individuals at close range, particularly targeting the vigilante who was armed with a dane gun. The violence also spread to Kaiama, where another vigilante was killed in a similar assault.

Terrorist Group Mahmuda’s Growing Influence

The Mahmuda group has been linked to an increasing number of violent incidents across the region, including kidnapping and killings in villages such as Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, and Nanu in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, as well as in parts of Yashikira District of Baruten Local Government Area. The group’s activities have extended into the Babana and Wawa districts of Borgu LGA in Niger State, prompting concerns over the spread of terrorism within these areas.

Despite previous claims from the federal government about successes in containing the violence, security experts believe the rise of Mahmuda suggests that more needs to be done to combat terrorism. Some experts have criticized the country’s intelligence system for failing to anticipate and prevent the emergence of such a group.

Governor AbdulRazaq Leads Delegation to Assess Situation

In response to the worsening situation, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq led a high-level delegation that included military and intelligence chiefs to visit Kaiama and assess the security concerns. The delegation held a “strategic security interface” with the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Shehu Omar, and other key stakeholders. During the meeting, the governor confirmed that the recent attacks were a reprisal targeting vigilantes.

Governor AbdulRazaq assured the public that the state government is collaborating with the military and other relevant agencies to bring peace to the affected communities and dismantle the terrorist group. He expressed confidence that the ongoing efforts will lead to a resolution of the security challenges.

In the wake of the attacks, the Kwara State Police Command reassured residents that adequate security measures were in place to prevent further violence. Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi urged citizens to go about their lawful activities while remaining vigilant and cooperating with law enforcement. She warned that any individual or group attempting to destabilize the community would be dealt with decisively.

Fear and Tensions in Affected Communities

The Emir of Yashikira, Alhaji Umaru Seriki, expressed growing concern for the safety of his subjects, who are living in fear of the frequent attacks by the Mahmuda group. The violence is not confined to Kwara alone but has spilled over into neighboring Niger State, with incidents like the recent destruction of a security vehicle purchased by locals for vigilante operations.

Experts, including Abdullahi Garba, an intelligence and counter-terrorism specialist, have questioned the failure of Nigeria’s security agencies to anticipate the rise of the Mahmuda group. Garba pointed to the need for more proactive intelligence gathering, urging the Department of State Services (DSS), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to better address emerging threats.

Speaking to Daily Trust, Garba said, “I think the DSS, DIA, and NIA have questions to answer regarding how the new terror group penetrated the country. Why do we have intelligence agencies if we can’t determine this type of scenario in our country?” He emphasized that countering terrorism effectively requires intelligence agencies to be more proactive and thorough in their efforts.

Security Agencies’ Response

While the police spokesperson directed inquiries to the military, a source within the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) confirmed that both the police and DSS are working around the clock to curb the activities of the Mahmuda group.

The source stated, “It is not an external threat; it is already an internal issue, and the police as the lead agency in maintaining internal security have taken over. The results will be obvious soon.”

A group of protesters on Tuesday stormed the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to demand the prosecution of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari.

The protesters, under the banner of Concerned Citizens Against Corruption, asked the AGF to conduct a thorough investigation into NNPCL’s transactions over the past five years.

Led by its convener, Kabir Matazu, the group expressed disappointment that despite President Bola Tinubu’s removal of Kyari and the entire NNPCL board on April 2, 2025, no steps had been taken to investigate the alleged corrupt practices during Kyari’s tenure.

The group highlighted controversies surrounding the rehabilitation and recommissioning of government-owned refineries, alleging that billions of dollars were spent without transparency.

“It is on record that the removal of the erstwhile corrupt leadership of the NNPCL was widely applauded by Nigerians, especially groups like ours that have been at the forefront of demanding accountability and transparency in the management of institutions,” Matazu said.

He further stated, “It is also notable that Kyari’s leadership of the NNPCL was plagued by numerous allegations of corruption due to a lack of transparency. Nigerians are disillusioned that the President has only stopped at removing the former leadership without initiating steps to investigate Kyari and his team’s management of the organisation.

“A key issue is the alleged fraud surrounding the rehabilitation and recommissioning of government-owned refineries. The figures and facts simply do not add up.

“In addition to the billions of dollars claimed to have been spent on refinery repairs, Kyari’s administration also alleged that Matrix Energy Limited invested $400m in rehabilitating the Port Harcourt Refinery, even though the Federal Executive Council approved $1.5bn for the same facility.

“More perplexingly, the NNPCL is now reportedly indebted to Matrix Energy by over $2bn. This debt is being serviced through daily crude oil allocations to Matrix Energy, for which no payments are being made.

“This situation raises urgent questions: Why and how is the Federal Government, through the NNPCL, indebted to Matrix Energy for $2bn? Why is the debt being serviced with daily crude oil supplies? Who were the parties involved in negotiating this deal? Why are Nigerians being kept in the dark about these agreements?”

The group also emphasised that addressing these issues would enable the Federal Government to account for how public resources were used under Kyari’s leadership.

“An investigation into these questionable transactions would help the government identify funds that need to be recovered and from whom, especially considering Nigeria’s dire economic condition,” Matazu said.

“Furthermore, such an investigation would ensure that the current leadership is held accountable and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.”

The group charged the AGF to immediately review all agreements entered into by the NNPCL during Kyari’s administration.

“This investigation should uncover the Federal Government’s financial losses and recommend actionable steps to recover these funds. We demand an immediate judicial review,” Matazu stated.

The protesters vowed to continue demanding accountability and transparency in the management of institutions, emphasising that Nigerians deserve to know the truth about the alleged corrupt practices under Kyari’s leadership.

The United Kingdom has received a total of 22,619 asylum applications from Nigerian nationals between 2010 and 2024, according to figures from the UK Home Office.

Nigerians accounted for one in every 30 asylum claims made in the UK during this period, ranking 11th among all nationalities, based on the Home Office’s recently published year-end Asylum and Resettlement statistics.

In a significant year-on-year spike, asylum claims by Nigerians nearly doubled in 2024—rising from 1,462 in 2023 to 2,841 in 2024.

The UK saw an overall surge in asylum requests in 2024, recording 108,138 applications—a 378 per cent increase compared to 2010.

A majority of these were first-time applicants from South Asia and the Middle East.

Iran topped the asylum claims chart with 75,737 applications, driven largely by “the increasing persecution of dissidents by the Iranian regime.”

Pakistan followed with 57,621 claims, including 10,542 in 2024 alone, a development linked to “post-election turmoil, soaring inflation and a spike in blasphemy prosecutions,” which human rights groups say strengthen grounds for asylum.

Afghanistan placed third with 54,363 applications since 2010. In 2024, 8,508 Afghans applied, reflecting ongoing fallout from the Taliban’s return to power in 2022. That year, 11,358 Afghans sought asylum in the UK, followed by 9,710 in 2023.

Other top nationalities included Albania (50,944), Iraq (45,711), Eritrea (37,687), Syria (34,997), and Bangladesh (31,744), where asylum seekers rose from 5,097 in 2023 to 7,225 in 2024 amid political upheaval following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sudan and India rounded out the top ten with 30,897 and 30,179 claims, respectively.

Nigeria ranked just ahead of Sri Lanka (22,059) and above Vietnam, China, and Turkey. Nations like Brazil, Kuwait, Yemen, Colombia, and Jordan each registered fewer than 6,500 claims.

A Nigerian man, Olufemi Ojaleye convicted of stealing Covid bounce-back loans has avoided deportation from the UK after successfully appealing on human rights grounds due to his children’s special needs.

Ojaleye who played “a leading role in a sophisticated fraud” involving the government’s Covid-era Bounce Back Loan Scheme, was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Despite this, a UK tribunal has ruled that he cannot be deported to Nigeria, primarily because two of his children have autism and “very significant additional needs.” 

Ojaleye, who first arrived in the UK as a visitor in 2002 and last visited Nigeria in 2004, was targeted for deportation by the Home Office following his conviction.

However, a First-tier Tribunal initially ruled in his favour last November, citing the potential impact on his family.

That decision was challenged by the Home Office, but it has now been upheld by the Upper Tier Tribunal (UTT) of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

Lawyers argued that deporting Ojaleye would have “unduly harsh consequences for his children,” referencing evidence from the specialist school they attend.

The tribunal heard that their autism affects “every aspect of [their] daily life” and that they “need support with even the smallest tasks such as dressing, eating, and toileting.”

While the Home Office maintained that Ojaleye’s deportation would not make a “materially different” impact on the children since he is already in prison, the tribunal disagreed.

According to the court, Ojaleye speaks to his children “where possible on a daily basis” and they visit him while he serves his sentence.

The children’s mother, already emotionally and financially overwhelmed by his imprisonment, told the tribunal that visiting him in Nigeria would be impossible due to their special needs.

She was described as being “drained both emotionally and financially” and struggling with breakdowns.

The Home Office also argued that the tribunal failed to give due weight to “the nature and seriousness of the appellant’s offending” and insisted that the consequences for the children were “simply not harsh enough to meet the high threshold necessary to outweigh the public interest in deportation.”

However, in her ruling, Judge Elizabeth Ruddick stated the original decision “contains no material error of law,” allowing Ojaleye to remain in the UK.

The case, revealed in court documents, is one of several highlighted by The Telegraph where deportation has been halted by human rights claims.

Currently, the UK faces a backlog of 41,987 outstanding immigration appeals, many on human rights

grounds—posing a significant challenge to efforts to expedite the removal of illegal migrants.