Suspected members of the notorious ‘Mahmuda’ group launched a deadly attack on Karongi, a town in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Sunday, killing one person and setting multiple homes on fire.
The attackers reportedly struck early in the morning, taking advantage of the absence of local vigilantes—many of whom had traveled out of the community for Eid-el-Kabir celebrations or were attending a training workshop.
The gunmen operated freely from around 6 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Residents told PUNCH Metro that the attackers were eventually repelled by a joint force of soldiers and vigilantes mobilized from neighboring communities.
While the police initially claimed no knowledge of the incident, the Nigerian Army confirmed the attack.
Alhaji Umoru Sariki, the Emir of Yashikira in Baruten LGA, also confirmed the incident in a phone interview, stating that the bandits killed one person and torched several homes.
“The soldiers are stationed far away in Chikanda, which delayed their response,” the Emir said. “It was only after mobilizing help from nearby communities that we were able to push the attackers back.”
Lt. Stephen Nwankwo, spokesperson for the 22 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Sobi, Ilorin, confirmed the incident on Monday.
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According to him, a vigilante accompanying the soldiers was killed during the intervention, and several makeshift structures were destroyed.
“The bandits fled upon sighting the soldiers,” Lt. Nwankwo added.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command’s spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said she was unaware of the attack but promised to investigate further.
