Residents of communities in Kwara and Niger States bordering Benin Republic are silently jubilating following the rumoured disappeance of Abubakar Abba Mahmuda, leader of Mahmuda, currently the most feared terror group in Nigeria.
According to some villagers in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, whose communities have suffered the most attacks at the hands of Mahmuda terrorists, the Mahmuda leader was believed to have disappeared at the weekend.
The villagers confirmed that none of Mahmuda’s commanders have been able to explain his sudden and embarrassing disappeance.
However, speculation is rife among the villagers that Department of State Services (DSS) may have covertly tailed and captured Mahmuda as he visited one of his numerous witchdoctors. After capturing Mahmuda alive, claim the villagers, the DSS officers moved him to a secret location. This, they say, explains Mahmuda’s puzzling disappearance which has thrown his camp into disarray.
Typically, the new DSS leadership, which has consistently pledged to return the Service to covertness, has kept sealed lips on Mahmuda’s whereabouts.
A local chief in one Baruten village, speaking in Hausa, said the villagers strongly believed that only the DSS had the capacity to capture Mahmuda in such manner.
He said, “Muna matukar farin ciki da dss akan wannan falala da suka yi cikin sirri. Wadannan mutane sun zama tushen ciwon kai a gare mu. Muna godiya ga shugaban kasa Tinubu da ya saurari kukan mu ya aiko mana da shugaban DSS nagari.” Loosely translated, “We are happy with what the DSS has done for us and with such covertness. These terrorists have been a source of headache in our communities. We are thankful to President Tinubu for responding to our cries for help.”
On his part, leader of a famous cattle market in the area, also speaking in Hausa, expressed the hope that Mahmuda’s speculated capture by the DSS would restore peace to the traumatized villagers.
He said, “Muna godiya ga Allah da wannan babban nasara. Mun kasance muna rayuwa cikin tsoro. Abin farin cikin ba za mu ƙara rayuwa cikin tsoro ba godiya ga Shugaban kasa Bola Tinubu. Translated, “We thank the Almighty God for this great victory. We used to live great fear. Happily, we would no longer live in fear, thanks to President Bola Tinubu.”
Mahmuda, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, is believed to have links with terror groups in Mali and Niger Republic. It migrated to Niger State over five years ago after dislodging guards at the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), an area with a land mass of more than 5,300 square kilometres, more than the size of Anambra State.
Lately, Mahmuda terrorists had been kidnapping and killing scores of villagers and sacking entire communities in Kwara and Niger States. The now captured leader would often send voice notes in Hausa to whole communities, demanding huge levies in exchange for protection.
Independent security sources disclosed that the 33-year-old husband of two wives is Hausa, from Daura, Katsina State, and, used to sell audio and video tapes of notable Islamic preachers, including Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf. According to the sources, the now captured terrorist leader first joined Boko Haram but later switched allegiance to Ansaru, before forming Mahmuda.
“As at Wednesday morning, details of how one of the most wanted terrorists in Nigeria was captured alive was still sketchy. What isn’t sketchy is that fact that the DSS has been carrying out series of well-cordinated and intelligence-led operations in the North in recent times,” one of the security sources declared.
