The traditional leader of Woro community in Kwara State, Umar Bio Salihu, has revealed that a ruthless gang of bandits operated with total impunity for ten hours before security forces reached the scene. The protracted assault resulted in dozens of fatalities and the wholesale destruction of several rural settlements.

Appearing on ARISE Television this Thursday, Salihu detailed a harrowing timeline of the invasion. He noted that the attackers commenced their deadly operation at approximately 5:00 pm, yet military personnel did not arrive until 3:00 am the following morning.

“I made the distress calls shortly after 5:00 pm, but help did not arrive until about 3:00 am. That is a window of ten hours. The military did not engage the intruders; the bandits had already vacated the area by the time the soldiers arrived,” the community leader stated.

Salihu further lamented the absence of air support, noting that no aerial interdiction took place during the massacre. He attributed the community’s vulnerability to the withdrawal of a military detachment that had previously been stationed in the area. According to him, about fifteen soldiers were evacuated three to five months ago following an attack on their base, leaving the district entirely defenceless.

“The lack of a security presence gave them the opportunity to enter at will and do exactly as they pleased,” he said.

Identifying the perpetrators, Salihu linked the assault to a terrorist cell known as the Mamuda group. He suggested the violence was a retaliatory strike after the community firmly rejected the group’s extremist ideology. He also dismissed narratives suggesting the killings were sectarian, clarifying that approximately 95 per cent of the victims were Muslims, while 5 per cent were Christians.

The village head disclosed that he had proactively reported a formal threat letter from the group to the Department of State Services in Kiama and the Emirate Council weeks prior. He expressed concern that the security response to that letter might have inadvertently provoked the terrorists.

“When the security agents commenced patrols following the report of the letter, the terrorists became incensed,” Salihu explained.

The scale of the tragedy remains immense, with Salihu confirming that at least 75 victims have already been buried. He warned that the death toll is expected to climb as search parties continue to recover bodies from the surrounding bush. The attackers also engaged in widespread arson, razing half the village to the ground, including the village head’s personal residence.

While Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has since visited the ruins and ordered a fresh deployment of personnel, the incident highlights a troubling trend of rural instability. This massacre follows a month of intensified violence across Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, placing significant strain on the national security apparatus.

Reports indicate that in the past four weeks alone, hundreds of people have been killed or abducted in attacks across the northern belt, underscoring growing pressure on the security strategy.

In a swift reaction to the crisis, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday authorised the immediate deployment of an Army battalion to the region. This move marks the beginning of a fresh counter offensive operation, with troops and forest guards now moving into the affected territories to reclaim control and restore order.