Armed men believed to belong to the ‘Mahmuda’ group attacked Karongi town in Kwara State’s Baruten Local Government Area on Sunday, killing one person and burning several houses.
The attackers struck early in the morning when local vigilantes were away – some attending a workshop and others celebrating Eid-el-Kabir outside the community. Witnesses said the gunmen operated freely between 6:00 am and 11:00 am before being chased away by soldiers and vigilantes from nearby villages.
The Emir of Yashikira Emirate, Alhaji Umoru Sariki, confirmed the attack. “The bandits killed one person and burned many houses,” he said. “They took advantage of the absent vigilantes. We had to call for help from neighboring communities to push them back by 11:00 am.”
He added that soldiers stationed in Chikanda were too far away to respond quickly.
Kwara State Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi initially said she was unaware of the incident, promising to investigate. However, Lt. Stephen Nwankwo of the 22 Brigade, Nigerian Army, confirmed the attack on Monday.
“Yes, it happened,” he said. “A vigilante was killed, and makeshift houses were burned. The bandits fled when soldiers arrived.”
The victim was reportedly a vigilante guiding soldiers to the village during the response. Authorities have yet to announce arrests or further details about the attackers.
