Residents of border communities in Kwara and Niger States are celebrating the reported capture of Abubakar Mahmuda, the feared leader of one of Nigeria’s most notorious terror groups, Mahmuda.
Though no security agency has officially confirmed the development, multiple villagers in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State told THISDAY on Wednesday that Mahmuda disappeared over the weekend under mysterious circumstances.
Sources within the affected communities, which have suffered repeated attacks by the Mahmuda terror group, said that none of his lieutenants have been able to explain his sudden disappearance, sparking widespread speculation that Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) may have apprehended him during a covert operation.
Unconfirmed reports from the communities suggest that Mahmuda may have been captured while visiting one of his known witchdoctors. Residents believe he is currently being held at an undisclosed location by DSS operatives, whose silence on the matter aligns with the agency’s renewed commitment to covert intelligence operations.
A local traditional leader in Baruten, speaking in Hausa, praised the DSS for the presumed operation. “We are happy with what the DSS has done. These terrorists have caused us so much pain. We thank President Bola Tinubu for hearing our cries,” he said.
Similarly, the head of a prominent cattle market in the area expressed hope that Mahmuda’s arrest would mark the beginning of peace for the region. “We thank Almighty God for this victory. We have lived in fear for years. With Mahmuda gone, we can now hope for peace,” he said.
Abubakar Mahmuda is a former Boko Haram member who later aligned with Ansaru before forming his own faction. Believed to be in his early 30s, he hails from Daura in Katsina State and previously sold Islamic sermon tapes, including those of Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf.
Over the past five years, Mahmuda’s group had established a presence in the vast Kainji Lake National Park area—spanning over 5,300 square kilometres—after dislodging government security forces. The faction has since been responsible for rampant kidnappings, killings, and the imposition of levies on communities in Kwara and Niger States, often accompanied by threats sent via recorded voice messages in Hausa.
Though full details of his capture remain unclear, independent security sources confirmed to THISDAY that the DSS has intensified intelligence-led operations across northern Nigeria in recent months. The silence from official quarters has only fueled further belief that Mahmuda was indeed taken into custody in one such operation.
As of the time of writing this report, the DSS had not issued any public statement regarding the matter.
