At least 162 residents of Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State were killed on Tuesday in what officials and residents have described as the most devastating armed attack recorded in the state this year.
The tragic toll was confirmed by the Red Cross and corroborated by local authorities, as survivors recounted chilling scenes of executions, widespread arson, and a community left in ruins.
Babaomo Ayodeji, Secretary of the Kwara State chapter of the Red Cross, confirmed that 162 fatalities had been recorded as of Wednesday afternoon. A local political source, speaking to Reuters, suggested the death toll could be even higher, potentially reaching 170 victims.
Sa’idu Ahmed, a politician from the Kaiama axis, described the methodical nature of the assault, saying attackers rounded up villagers, restrained them, and executed many before setting homes and shops ablaze.
“I am in the village along with military personnel, sorting dead bodies and searching nearby areas,” Ahmed told journalists. He added that numerous residents sustained gunshot wounds while fleeing, and several people, including the traditional ruler, remain unaccounted for.
Residents alleged that the attackers were jihadists who had previously visited the village to preach, urging inhabitants to abandon loyalty to the Nigerian state and submit to Sharia law. Violence reportedly erupted after villagers resisted the demands, prompting the gunmen to open fire during a sermon.
On Wednesday, 75 victims were laid to rest in a mass burial at the Woro community.
A government official, who requested anonymity, confirmed that while reports indicated the total fatalities exceeded 150, the mass burial that afternoon accounted for 75 of the dead. The Kaiama Local Government Chairman, Abubakar Danladi, led a government delegation to the burial ceremony.
Umar Tanko, the village head of Woro, recounted personal loss, saying he was away at his shop when gunmen attacked his home. “My daughter and two sons were shot dead, while my second wife and two others were abducted,” he said.
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Another resident, Razaq Abdulazeez, described a narrow escape with his family: “I rushed to my house, packed my family members, and we escaped into the deep bush. Many people who could not run climbed trees to avoid the bandits.”
Among the confirmed dead was Salihu Bio Khalid, a midwifery student at the Kwara State College of Nursing Sciences (KWASCONS) and former President of the Student Union Government, who was reportedly killed alongside his brother.
The National Association of Nigeria Comrades (NANC), Kwara Axis, condemned the killings as devastating, urging the government to strengthen security, conduct a thorough investigation, and ensure justice for the victims.
The Kwara State Government, through Chief Press Secretary Rafiu Ajakaye, confirmed the attack. Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq described the massacre as cowardly and a sign of desperation by terrorist groups facing sustained counterterrorism efforts.
In separate statements, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, and Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central, called on the Federal Government to intensify military operations and deploy additional troops to protect vulnerable communities in the state.