In a bold offensive against terror, the Nigerian Army has arrested no fewer than 12 members of a breakaway Boko Haram faction known as Mahmuda, who recently seized parts of the Kanji Lake National Park. The insurgents, who have reportedly terrorised border communities in Kwara and Niger States, were nabbed during a military raid under Operation Park Strike Four.
Major-General Obinna Onubogu, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, disclosed the arrests on Saturday during a strategic visit to the area. He revealed that troops swept through nearly 90 kilometres of forest terrain, flushing out insurgents who had been maiming and exploiting residents in Baruten, Kaiama (Kwara), and Borgu (Niger) Local Government Areas.
According to Onubogu, two of the arrested individuals have been confirmed as active members of the terrorist faction, while others are suspected collaborators. “The operation is aimed at flushing out all criminal elements from the Kanji Lake National Park and restoring confidence among locals,” he stated.
The GOC affirmed that the operation—initiated on the orders of Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Olufemi Oluyede—has so far succeeded in dislodging the bandits, significantly degrading their hold on the region.
In a symbolic show of civilian-military solidarity, Gen. Onubogu paid courtesy visits to the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Sheu Omar, and Shao’ki (Head) of Kemanji Community, Aliyu Siki-Muhammed, assuring them of the military's commitment to sustaining peace and eliminating insurgency from their domain.
The arrest of the Mahmuda insurgents is seen as a major win for security forces in their fight against terrorism’s creeping expansion into central Nigeria.
