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Armed bandits attacked multiple villages in Kwara State for nearly 10 hours before security forces arrived, leaving dozens of residents dead and entire communities destroyed, according to the head of Woro community, Umar Bio Salihu.
Speaking on ARISE Television on Thursday, Salihu said the attackers began their assault around 5 p.m. and operated freely until about 3 a.m. the next day, when soldiers eventually reached the area.b“I called shortly after 5 p.m., but they did not come until about 3 a.m.,” Salihu said, describing the delay. “That is about 10 hours.”
Salihu said the assailants had already withdrawn by the time troops arrived and confirmed that there was no air support deployed during the incident. “The military did not engage them. The bandits had already gone when the soldiers came,” he said.
According to Salihu, the communities had been left vulnerable after soldiers previously stationed in the area were withdrawn following an earlier attack on a military base. “We initially had about 15 soldiers here,” he said. “Three to five months ago, they were attacked. Since then, they were evacuated, and we have had no security presence.”
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He added that the absence of troops made it easy for the attackers to strike without resistance. “That gave them the opportunity to come anytime and do whatever they like,” Salihu said.
Salihu identified the attackers as members of the Mamuda terrorist group, saying the violence followed the community’s rejection of the group’s ideology. “Our people are not ready to accept that ideology,” he said. “I believe that is what made them angry enough to attack our communities.” He dismissed suggestions that the killings were religiously motivated, noting that the majority of victims were Muslims. “About 95 percent of those killed are Muslims, and about five percent are Christians,” Salihu said. “This was not a religious attack.”
The community leader said he had previously alerted authorities after receiving a threat letter allegedly sent by the attackers, raising concerns that sensitive information may have been compromised. “When the letter was brought, it was given directly to me,” Salihu said. “That same night, I sent it to the DSS in Kiama. The next day, I personally took it to the Emirate Council.”
He said the handling of the letter may have alerted the attackers. “When security agents later went on patrol, the terrorists became angry,” he added.
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Salihu said at least 75 victims had already been buried, warning that the death toll could rise as bodies were still being recovered from nearby bushes. “Many bodies are yet to be found,” he said.
Several villages were destroyed in the attack, including Salihu’s own home. “They burned almost half of the villages, including my house,” he said.
Salihu confirmed that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited the affected communities and ordered the deployment of security personnel.
