Suspected members of the ‘Mahmuda’ armed group launched a deadly attack on Karongi town in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State on Sunday, killing one person and razing several houses during a sustained morning assault that lasted hours.
The gunmen struck around 6 a.m., reportedly taking advantage of the absence of local vigilantes who had travelled to attend Eid-el-Kabir celebrations and a training workshop.
The attackers were eventually dislodged around 11 a.m. following a combined response by soldiers and vigilantes mobilised from nearby communities.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview on Sunday evening, the Emir of Yashikira, Alhaji Umoru Sariki, said: “Yes, the bandits from Mahmuda group struck at about 6 am on Sunday. They attacked Karongi town in my Emirate. They killed one person and burnt many houses in the community.”
He added that the attackers exploited the town’s temporary vulnerability.
“They took advantage of the absence of the vigilantes who had travelled for Sallah while some had also gone for training. They invaded the town for hours, from 6 am to 11 am. We had to go to the surrounding communities in the Emirate to mobilise local vigilantes who succeeded in chasing them away.”
According to the Emir, the remoteness of military deployment contributed to the delay in response. “The soldiers were far away,” he noted, “The army is stationed in Chikanda which is far from the community.”
The Nigerian Army confirmed the attack on Monday. The spokesperson of the 22 Brigade in Sobi, Ilorin, Lt. Stephen Nwankwo, said, “Yes, the incident happened. I’m aware. One of the vigilantes was killed while some makeshift houses were set ablaze by the gunmen. The soldiers were alerted about the incident and they went to the village. The person who was killed was one of the vigilantes who escorted the soldiers to the village.”
He further disclosed that the attackers fled on sighting the soldiers. “The bandits ran away on sighting the soldiers and escaped from the area,” he said.
However, the Kwara State Police Command appeared unaware of the attack as of Sunday. The Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said: “I’m not aware of this incident. I will do my findings and get back to you.”
