Contrary to the denial by the Nigeria Police, the Emir of Yashikira, Umoru Seriki, Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State says a new terrorist group, 'Mahmuda' is allegedly occupying some parts of the Kwara North Senatorial District and Niger State.
He claimed that concerned authorities have abandoned communities under attacks by the terror group.
The Emir lamented that "the situation is that we are totally demoralized, we are not happy with what the authorities are saying that there is no presence of terrorists in our domains.
"We are not happy and we feel abandoned by the government and left on our own, but as the situation is, we have no choice than to continue to defend ourselves.”
"It is very unfortunate that we have complained about this thing earlier and nobody seems to pay attention to our plight," DAILY POST quoted him as saying.
The attacks, according to the traditional ruler, are not only in Baruten and Kaiama local governments of Kwara state, but also Borgu Kingdom in Niger State.
Seriki, while confirming last week's attacks by the terrorists, disclosed that the security vehicle bought by the people for operations by the vigilantes was bombed by the terrorists.
"We are just lucky that our vigilantes survived the attacks though some suffered some bruises.
"The casualties we suffered were not actually 15, but we suffered some casualties and the terrorists also suffered some casualties.
"So that is the situation, what the social media is actually reporting is the truth, we are just praying to God to help and protect us in the current situation we are facing," he added.
The Kwara State Police Command last week refuted the alleged emergence of a terror group named 'Mahmuda' within Kaiama and Baruten Local Government Areas of the state.
The command also categorically dismissed the claim that 15 vigilantes have been killed by the terror group, describing it as false and devoid of any factual basis.
A statement by the spokesperson of the command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in Ilorin on Saturday, said comprehensive and continuous threat assessments, intelligence surveillance, and tactical reconnaissance operations in the said areas have yielded no evidence of insurgent activity, coordinated terrorist formations, or mass casualty incidents as described.