The head of Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, Umar Salihu, has said terrorists attacked his community for nearly 10 hours before security forces arrived, leaving scores of residents dead and large parts of the village destroyed.
Salihu said the attack began at about 5 p.m. and continued until around 3 a.m. the following day, despite distress calls made to security agencies shortly after the assault started.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, the village head alleged that soldiers only arrived after the attackers had fled, with no confrontation taking place.
“I called around 5 p.m., but they did not come until about 3 a.m. By the time the military arrived, the bandits had already gone,” he said, adding that there was no air interdiction during the attack.
Salihu disclosed that the community had been left exposed after troops previously stationed in the area were withdrawn following an earlier attack on the military base months ago.
“Initially, we had about 15 soldiers here. After they were attacked three to five months ago, they were evacuated, and since then, there has been no security presence,” he said.
He identified the attackers as members of the Mamuda terrorist group, explaining that the violence followed the community’s refusal to accept their ideology. He clarified that the victims were predominantly Muslims, dismissing claims that the killings were religiously motivated.
“As of yesterday, we buried 75 people, but there are still corpses in the bush. Almost half of the village was burnt, including my house,” Salihu said.
The traditional ruler also raised concerns that sensitive intelligence may have been compromised, revealing that he had earlier reported a threat letter to security agencies, including the Department of State Services and the Emirate Council.
Reacting to the incident, the Defence Headquarters expressed shock over the killings, describing the attack as a cowardly act of terrorism. In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said troops were deployed after receiving information about the attack and had earlier conducted patrols in the area following reports of terrorist threats.
A military source said the deployment helped prevent a second wave of attacks, citing difficult terrain and the presence of improvised explosive devices along access routes.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the deployment of tactical and intelligence assets to Kaiama and surrounding communities, launching a manhunt for those responsible.
The Peoples Democratic Party accused the Federal Government of ignoring early security warnings, describing the incident as evidence of worsening insecurity. Several political leaders, including Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Ahmad Lawan, and Gani Adams, also condemned the attack and called for stronger security measures.
President Bola Tinubu, in a statement after meeting with Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, condemned the killings and announced the deployment of an army battalion under Operation Savannah Shield, vowing that Nigeria would not surrender to extremism or terrorism.
