Abuja — The village head of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, Umar Salihu, has alleged that terrorists attacked his community for nearly 10 hours before security forces arrived, resulting in the death of scores of residents and the destruction of large parts of the village.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Salihu said the attackers invaded Woro at about 5:00 p.m. and operated unhindered until around 3:00 a.m., despite repeated distress calls to security agencies.

“I called around 5 p.m., but soldiers did not arrive until about 3 a.m. That is nearly 10 hours,” he said, adding that by the time troops arrived, the assailants had already fled and no engagement took place.

Salihu also confirmed that no air interdiction was carried out during the attack.

“The aircraft did not engage them. There was no interdiction and no munition was dropped,” he stated.

Prior Threats and Intelligence Concerns

The traditional ruler raised concerns that sensitive intelligence may have been compromised, revealing that he had earlier reported a threat letter delivered to him to security agencies.

“When the letter came, I immediately sent it to the DSS in Kaiama and also submitted it to the Emirate Council the next day,” he said, suggesting that the disclosure may have alerted the attackers.

He further disclosed that soldiers previously stationed in the area had been withdrawn months earlier following an attack on the military base, leaving the community exposed.

“That gave them the opportunity to come anytime and do whatever they wanted,” Salihu said.

According to him, the attackers belonged to the Mamuda terrorist group, and the assault followed the community’s refusal to accept their ideology.

“The people rejected their belief system, and that angered them,” he said, stressing that the victims were mostly Muslims, countering claims of a religious conflict.

Death Toll and Destruction

Salihu revealed that at least 75 bodies had been buried, with more corpses still being recovered from nearby bushes.

“They burned almost half of the villages, including my house,” he said.

Government, Military React

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said troops were deployed promptly after receiving information about the attack and had carried out robust patrols and surveillance in the area.

In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, described the attack as a cowardly act, noting that the terrorists returned weeks after an earlier rejection of their indoctrination efforts.

A military source said the late-night deployment was slowed by difficult terrain and explosive devices, but prevented a possible second wave of killings.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has also ordered the deployment of tactical and intelligence assets to Kaiama, while launching a manhunt for the perpetrators.

Political Reactions

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the Federal Government of ignoring prior security warnings, describing the attack as evidence of worsening insecurity.

President Bola Tinubu, however, condemned the killings in strong terms, vowing that Nigeria would never surrender to extremism disguised as faith. He announced the deployment of an Army battalion under Operation Savannah Shield to restore security in the area.

Several political leaders, including Rabiu Kwankwaso, Ahmad Lawan, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and Gani Adams, also condemned the attack, with renewed calls for stronger security architecture and the establishment of state police.