Governor, community disagree on number as terrorists kill many in Woro
About 170 people have been killed in Woro, a remote community in Kaiama local government area of Kwara state, by suspected Mamuda terrorists in an attack that lasted several hours.
The assault came about five months after the group sent a letter to the district head of Woro, Salihu Umar, notifying him of their intention to visit the community for preaching.
Woro is located on the fringes of Kainji National Park, a vast forest reserve covering about 5,341 square kilometres. The area has increasingly become a hideout for armed groups, including Boko Haram and Ansaru—locally known as Mamuda.
While Ansaru has operated in the area since around 2020, Boko Haram fighters moved into the forest in July last year, according to newspaper reports.
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Residents revealed that the attack began around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and continued into the early hours of Wednesday.
The terrorists stormed the village, opening fire, setting houses ablaze, and abducting an unspecified number of women and children.
Reuters earlier quoted a local politician, Sa’idu Ahmed, as estimating the death toll at 40, noting that more bodies were likely to be found.
By Wednesday evening, however, the figure had risen sharply.
A resident said a search-and-rescue team, escorted by military personnel and forest guards, counted at least 170 bodies.
“They counted 170 this afternoon,” the resident said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
Meanwhile, the governor of Kwara State, Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, has disagreed that 170 people were killed in the attack.
According to Farooq Kperogi, a US-based Nigerian academic, the governor called him to make the clarification about the number of the dead.
“I just got off the phone with Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, whose Chief Press Secretary, Mal. Rafiu Ajakaye, called me shortly after I posted my last update.
“The governor was in Kaiama when we spoke. He went there with about 1,000 military officers as part of what is called “Operation Savannah Shield,” a new initiative to battle the terrorists, anticipate their moves, and contain them. in that part of Nigeria.
“I also spoke to Brigadier General Nicholas Rume, Commander of the 22 Armored Brigade, Sobi Barracks in Ilorin, who was with the governor. He assured me that the situation was contained.
“He said they verified 75 deaths but indicated that the number could rise, as it had already jumped from 65 to 75. The village head of Woro, Alhaji Salihu Umar, has also been found alive,” Kperogi wrote in a Facebook update.