The Woro relatives and community leaders narrated how the suspected gunmen, riding in large numbers on motorcycles, encircled Woro shortly after 5pm, cutting off escape routes before opening fire on villagers from multiple directions which led to the death of 75 people on Tuesday.
A younger brother of the traditional ruler of Woro, Mr. Ali Umar, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as survivors grappled with the scale of the carnage. “They came around 5pm and completely surrounded the community,” Umar said, recalling the dread that set in as shots rang out. “They started shooting sporadically from all angles so nobody could escape.”
Umar described how the attackers separated those who surrendered, forcing them towards the palace of the village head, where they were bound and shot.
He also revealed the traumatic impact on his own family: “The chief’s wife, his mother and three of his children are missing,” Umar said. “That makes five people from his household unaccounted for.”
The ferocity of the assault left Woro virtually emptied, as those who survived fled on foot into surrounding bushland to escape the gunfire. “The people were scared, and the community is now nearly empty,” Umar said, adding, “What we need now is increased security presence to restore confidence and allow people to return.”
Authorities later confirmed that similar attacks occurred in neighboring Nuku community, where scores of residents were also killed in the violence.
Arriving in Kaiama on Wednesday night accompanied by security chiefs and senior state officials, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed that 75 local Muslims were massacred after resisting attempts by the assailants to impose what he described as a “strange doctrine.”
In a statement of condolence, the governor said the violence was a “cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells”, occurring amid intensified counter-terrorism activities across the region.
Governor AbdulRazaq also announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion to conduct counter-offensive operations under a security initiative termed Operation Savannah Shield.
“The injured were later taken to the General Hospital, but some were referred to the Teaching Hospital,” the governor added, underscoring the urgency of medical assistance for survivors.
The brutality of the attack has drawn condemnation from other state officials. Mr. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, urged a swift escalation of military operations in the border areas with Niger Republic to root out criminal elements.
In a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Abdukadir Shehu, Danladi-Salihu expressed deep sympathy for the Emir of Kaiama, Dr. Muazu Omar, and the families of the victims. “I commiserate with the Emir of Kaiama and the families of the victims of this horrific attack,” he said.
He also cautioned residents to stay vigilant: “I am calling for intensified military action against the perpetrators, and I urge our communities to cooperate fully with security agencies to bring an end to these killings once and for all.”
The Speaker warned that as security pressure increases in other parts of Kwara State, “elements of destabilisation” might shift tactics and seek new areas to exploit, reinforcing the urgent need for coordinated action.
