The head of Woro village in Kwara State, Umar Bio Salihu, has attributed the recent deadly terrorist attack on his community to significant delays in military response and apparent intelligence lapses, which he said enabled armed assailants to massacre scores of residents over nearly 10 hours.
In an interview with ARISE News, Salihu revealed that the attack began around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, with terrorists—identified as members of the Mamuda group—storming the village, opening fire indiscriminately, and setting homes and shops ablaze, including his own residence.
Distress calls were made to authorities shortly after the assault started, but security forces did not arrive until approximately 3:00 a.m. the following morning.“I called after 5pm, but they did not come until about 3am. That was from 5pm to about 3am. That is about 10 hours,” Salihu stated.
By the time soldiers reached the scene, the attackers had already fled, with no engagement or air interdiction occurring. “The military did not attack them. The bandits had gone when the military came,” he added. “The plane did not engage them. They did not interdict.
They did not drop any ammunition on them.”Salihu highlighted that the community had previously hosted a military base with about 15 soldiers, but the troops were withdrawn three to five months earlier following an attack on them. This left the area without any security presence, allowing the terrorists unrestricted access. “That gave them the opportunity to come anytime, enter anytime and do whatever they like,” he explained.
The village head linked the motive to the community's rejection of the group's extremist ideology, often described as "strange doctrines." He noted that a threat letter from the terrorists had been received and promptly reported to the Department of State Services (DSS) in Kaiama and the Emirate Council.
However, he suggested that mishandling during photocopying and distribution may have compromised intelligence, alerting the attackers and provoking the assault.
“The people they killed are mostly Muslims. About 95 per cent are Muslims and five per cent are Christians,” Salihu clarified, countering any narrative of purely religious targeting.As of the interview, at least 75 bodies had been buried, though Salihu warned the death toll could rise as more corpses were still being recovered from surrounding bushes.
Entire sections of the village, including half of Woro, were destroyed by fire.Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited the affected areas, witnessed the devastation firsthand, and ordered immediate reinforcement.
Approximately 15 soldiers were initially deployed, with the total security presence now reaching about 80 personnel.The attack on Woro and nearby Nuku communities has been described by state authorities as a reaction by terrorist cells to ongoing counter-terrorism operations, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the region in recent months amid Nigeria's persistent security challenges.
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