A claim that some members of a new terrorist group, Mahmuda, have been apprehended between the borders of Kwara and Niger States by the Nigerian military has surfaced online.
The claim which originated from a post by an X user, @asafaabdulwasi2, alleged that the Nigerian military apprehended the Mahmuda terrorists in Baruten and Kaiama Local Government Areas of Kwara State.
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The post was accompanied by an image showing some individuals lying half-naked on bare ground, with soldiers visible in the background — purportedly depicting the arrest of the alleged terrorists.
The post read:
CLAIM
Photo shows arrested Mahmuda terrorists in Kwara State, Nigeria.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING, as the image depicts some villagers arrested in the Tillabéri region of Niger Republic, not in Kwara State.
When the image was examined by our fact-checker using Google Lens, it showed that the photo has been previously used as a featured image in a Zagazola report, a news platform known for its security analysis and conflict reporting in Africa’s Sahel region.
Published in March 2025, the report detailed a disturbing wave of fear sweeping through the Tillabéri region of Niger Republic after graphic videos and images surfaced online. It alleged that these visuals showed Nigerien security forces parading groups of unarmed civilians in public spaces and branding them as terrorists.
Many of those depicted appear to be ordinary villagers, prompting concerns over the legitimacy of the accusations and the potential abuse of power by the Nigerien military.
This came during a period of heightened insecurity in Tillabéri. Prior to that, the region witnessed multiple violence, including a notorious attack on a market convoy that left some people dead.
The broader context underscores ongoing instability in Africa’s Sahel region, where civilians are often caught between extremist violence and heavy-handedness of security operatives.
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Further checks revealed that the Nigerian Army had on May 10, 2025 arrested 12 individuals linked to acts of terrorism allegedly carried out by a breakaway faction of Boko Haram known as Mahmuda, Daily Trust reported. Previous killings by the terror group was also reported by Punch newspaper. The 12 terrorists arrested by the Nigerian military were unrelated to the image in circulation on the X platform.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the photo shows arrested Mahmuda terrorists in Kwara State, Nigeria is MISLEADING; the image depicts some villagers arrested in the Tillabéri region of Niger Republic, and unconnected to the Nigerian arrest.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.
