Umar Faruk Idris has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, and all security operatives to take swift and decisive action over the growing threat posed by a terror group known as “Mahamuda.”
In a letter addressed to President Tinubu, Idris urged immediate intervention from the Kwara State Police Command and all military formations within and around Kwara State, stressing that the situation has escalated beyond criminality.
“The Mahamuda terrorists are not just criminals—they have become a parallel government,” he warned.
“They mediate disputes, impose religious laws, and dictate how locals live their daily lives. This is more than banditry—it is occupation.”
According to Idris, the Mahamuda group has seized control of the Borgu region, operating with impunity through acts of banditry, kidnapping, theft, and murder.
He alleged that the group has entrenched itself within the Borgu Game Reserve, a once-protected expanse of forestland stretching across Kwara, Niger, and Kebbi States, as well as into the Republic of Benin.
Idris lamented that the ecological and cultural heritage of Borgu is now under siege, with the terrorists exploiting the area’s natural resources for profit.
“The Borgu Game Reserve and Kainji Lake National Park, once symbols of national pride and ecological preservation, have become the stronghold of terror,” he said.
The letter further alleged that the group now permits commercial logging and charcoal trading within the forest, resulting in rampant deforestation and severe environmental degradation.
“Trees are being felled indiscriminately. The ecosystem is under severe threat,” he added.
Forest guards, who once maintained order under the Conservation General of Nigeria, are said to be either overwhelmed or entirely absent, leaving the area vulnerable.
“This terror group now taxes every forest resource—animals, trees, land. They measure land in hectares and collect fees from desperate farmers, permitting illegal farming within the reserve,” Idris stated.
He expressed deep concern for the Kainji Dam, a critical source of hydroelectric power for the country, and the broader implications of losing a vital ecological zone that also holds value for tourism and climate preservation.
“The destruction is not only physical but environmental and institutional,” he warned.
Idris criticised what he described as the prior downplaying or denial of the threat, stating that “there is now overwhelming evidence.”
He called on the Kwara Police Command to “acknowledge the reality,” urging collaboration with the local population and open communication with the Federal Government.
“We call on the full strength of Nigeria’s security architecture to intervene before the situation deteriorates further,” the letter said .
