Woro Massacre: Kwara (Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq) Confirms 75 Dead as Terrorists Strike Community Over Rejected Extremism

 Kwara State has been thrown into deep mourning following a brutal terrorist assault on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, with the state government confirming that at least 75 residents were killed after refusing to submit to extremist ideology.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq disclosed the figure on Wednesday night, describing the killings as a cold-blooded massacre carried out against peaceful residents who rejected what he called a “strange and misguided doctrine” preached by the attackers.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaiye, the governor said the casualty figure was confirmed by the Emir of the area during an official visit to the community. According to the state, all the confirmed victims were Muslims.

“Seventy-five people have been confirmed dead by the emir himself,” Ajakaiye said. “They were killed for rejecting extremist ideologies.”

Death Toll Disputed as Red Cross Puts Figure Higher

While the Kwara State Government maintains a confirmed figure of 75 fatalities, local sources and humanitarian groups report a far higher death toll.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said 162 bodies had been counted as of Wednesday evening, while residents and search-and-rescue teams accompanying security forces said as many as 170 victims may have been killed, with more bodies still being discovered.

Reuters earlier quoted a local politician, Sa’idu Ahmed, as estimating at least 40 deaths at the time, warning that the number was likely to rise.

Attack Followed Earlier Warning

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the assault was not entirely unexpected. Months earlier, a terrorist group reportedly led by Sadiku, a Boko Haram faction that relocated to the Kainji forest reserve, had sent a letter to the district head of Woro, Salihu Umar, informing him of their intention to visit the community for ideological preaching.

Despite the warning, the attack began around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and continued into the early hours of Wednesday. Survivors said the gunmen stormed homes, killed men, women and youths, razed houses and shops, and abducted an unspecified number of women and children.

Among those killed was Salihu Ibrahim, a former students’ union leader of the Kwara State College of Nursing, Ilorin.

The attackers also reportedly burnt the palace of the district head and made away with his official vehicle, which residents said was used to transport kidnapped victims into the forest. As of press time, the district head and several villagers remained missing.

Governor Visits Scene, Tinubu Orders Troop Deployment

Governor AbdulRazaq arrived in Kaiama alongside senior security chiefs and cabinet members to commiserate with the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Omar Mu’azu (Bagidi Kiyaru IV), and assess the scale of destruction firsthand.

“At least 75 local Muslims were massacred in cold blood simply for refusing to surrender to extremists,” the governor said. “I condemn the attack and share in the grief of the community.”

He announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate deployment of a new army battalionto the area to launch a fresh counter-offensive, codenamed Operation Savannah Shield, aimed at flushing out the terrorists operating around the Kainji axis.

Police, Military Launch Manhunt

The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the attack, saying several people were killed, others injured, and properties destroyed. Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said tactical teams, working with the military, forest guards and local vigilantes, have been deployed, with investigations ongoing to track the attackers who reportedly fled toward the Kainji National Park forest.

Rising Fear in North-Central Nigeria

The Woro massacre has intensified concerns about the spread of extremist violence into Nigeria’s North-Central region, an area previously considered less exposed to Boko Haram insurgency compared to the North-East.

The same terror network is believed to have been involved in recent deadly attacks in neighbouring Niger State, including the assault on Kasuwan Daji and the abduction of more than 300 students from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri.

As residents continue to hide in nearby bushes and displacement grows, the tragedy in Woro stands as one of the deadliest terror attacks in Kwara State’s history, underscoring the expanding footprint of extremist violence beyond its traditional strongholds.

SOURCE : NaijaRush Assignment Desk