Bandits Attacked Kwara Community for 10 Hours Before Soldiers Arrived — Village Head
The village head of Woro community in Kwara State, Umar Bio Salihu, has revealed that armed bandits operated freely in the area for about 10 hours before security operatives arrived, leading to mass casualties and widespread destruction.
Salihu made the disclosure on ARISE Television on Thursday while recounting the deadly attack.
According to him, the assailants began their operation at about 5pm, but soldiers only arrived around 3am the following day.
“I called after 5pm, but they did not come until about 3am. That was about 10 hours.
The bandits had already gone when the military came,” he said.
No Air Support, No Security Presence
The community leader also lamented the absence of air interdiction during the attack.
He explained that Woro had been left vulnerable after soldiers stationed in the area were withdrawn months earlier following an assault on their base.
“We had about 15 soldiers before. After they were attacked, they were evacuated. Since then, we have had no security presence,” Salihu said.
He added that this security vacuum allowed the attackers to strike without resistance.
Attack Linked to Terror Group
Salihu identified the attackers as members of the Mamuda terrorist group, claiming the assault followed the community’s rejection of the group’s ideology.
“Our people are not ready to take that ideology. That is why they became angry,” he said.
He dismissed suggestions that the killings were religiously motivated, noting that most victims were Muslims.
“About 95 per cent of those killed were Muslims,” he stated.
Threat Letter Ignored, Over 75 Buried
The village head disclosed that he had earlier received a threat letter from the attackers, which he reported to security agencies.
He expressed concern that sensitive information may have been compromised in the process.
Salihu confirmed that at least 75 victims had been buried, with more bodies still being recovered from nearby bushes.
Several villages were reportedly razed, including his residence.
“They burned almost half of the villages, including my house,” he said.
Government Response and Security Reinforcement
Following the attack, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited the affected communities and ordered additional security deployment.
President Bola Tinubu has also approved the immediate deployment of an Army battalion to the area as part of a new counter-offensive operation.
Troops and forest guards have since moved in to restore peace.
Rising Insecurity in North-Central Nigeria
The Kwara killings form part of a growing wave of violent attacks across north-central and north-west Nigeria, including Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.
In the past month alone, hundreds of Nigerians have reportedly been killed or abducted, increasing pressure on the Federal Government to strengthen its security strategy.
