On the ground reality in Northcentral region of Nigeria shows an escalation in the destabilising activities of a breakaway faction of the Boko-Haram terrorist organisation now operating under the nomenclature of ‘Mahmuda’.

Fighters of the group, who are on what security sources said to be a Jihadist mission, have established several camps in the forest connecting Niger-Nasarawa -Kwara-Kogi states, in the northcentral of the Nigeria.

One of the latest dastardly operations attributed to the group was the recent multiple attacks on the Nigerian Army’s operational bases in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger state, that resulted in the killing of 20 soldiers, with others soldiers critically injured.

The group, believed to be operating along with other terrorist elements that recently infiltrated the region from Niger Republic, are presently occupying some forest areas in Kanij National Park, which connects Kwara, and Niger states.

The terrorist organisation is said to have also established presence Borgu, Babana, Dekora, and Luma settlements covering around 90 kilometres in the Kanij National Park.

The group is also said to be active in Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, and Nanu communities in Kaiama local Government Areas of Kwara state.

Sources, who spoke to BusinessDay, on the presence of the group in the region of Nigeria that is home to some of the most vital national assets, ranging from power generation, and transmission, to military facility, such as the Wawa Military Cantonment situated in New Bussa, said the development is a thing of concern.

One of the sources, Joseph Odunayo, a community leader based in Mopa-Moru Local Government Area of Kogi state, noted that the presence of the group in the region poses a major threat to some of these high valued national assets located in the region.

He stated that the infiltration of the region by the terrorist group, could be a strategic move geared at attacking these prime national assets, as well as to expand their reach to the southern part of Nigeria.

Odunayo confided that the Wawa military facility located in the remote area of New Bussa connecting Kanji National Park, with Benin Republic, is probably a target that the group is eyeing.

The Wawa military cantonment is known to house a special airbase where Nigerian most sophisticated military aircrafts, including the recently acquired ‘Tucano military aircraft’, are parked.

The base also has a detention Centre where a large number of hardened Boko-Haram, and ISWAP terrorists captured in the northeast states of Borno, and Yobe, some since 2009, are kept.

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An estimated 2000 captured terrorists, awaiting trial are currently kept in some detention facilities at the military base, he said.

The Mahmuda, now operating in the northcentral Nigeria, is believed to be part of the group jihadists that launched a massive attack on military posts in the Benin Republic. (BusinessDay)