Kwara Village Head Reveals Delayed Military Response as Terrorists Kill 75

Umar Bio Salihu, the head of Woro village in Kwara State, disclosed that armed bandits invaded his community for almost ten hours before security forces responded, leading to a tragic loss of life and destruction of property.

In an interview with ARISE News on Thursday, Salihu stated that distress calls were made to the authorities shortly after the attack commenced around 5:00 PM, but military personnel did not arrive until approximately 3:00 AM the next day.

“I made the call after 5 PM, but they didn’t arrive until around 3 AM. That's roughly ten hours,” he recounted.

Salihu mentioned that by the time the military reached the area, the aggressors had already escaped, and therefore, there was no confrontation between the two parties.

“The military did not engage them. The bandits had already departed when the military showed up,” he asserted.

He also pointed out that there was no air support during the attack.

“The aircraft did not engage them. There was no air interdiction or any offensive measures taken,” Salihu explained.

The village head noted that the community was left unprotected after soldiers, who had previously been stationed there, were withdrawn following an earlier incident.

“We used to have a military presence—about 15 soldiers were stationed here. They were withdrawn three to five months ago after a previous attack on them. Now we have no security in this area,” he detailed.

“This has allowed the bandits the freedom to attack our community at any time,” he lamented.

Salihu confirmed that the attackers were linked to the Mamuda terrorist group, stating that the violence erupted in response to the community's rejection of their extremist views.

“Indeed. Our people are not accepting of their ideology, which I believe incited their anger to assault our community,” he stated.

He clarified that the victims of the attack were predominantly Muslims, which counters narratives suggesting a religious conflict.

“Most of the deceased are Muslims. Approximately 95 percent are Muslims, with only about five percent being Christians. They are not all Muslims, but the majority certainly are,” Salihu clarified.

The village head revealed that he had previously reported receiving a threatening letter to security forces, raising suspicions of potential intelligence failures.

“When they delivered the letter, it was handed directly to me. I forwarded it to the DSS in Kiama that night,” he noted.

“The next day, I personally delivered the letter to the Emirate Council, where it was photocopied. During that process, I suspect a crucial contact may have been lost,” he mentioned.

Salihu opined that the disclosure of the threat could have tipped off the attackers.

“After the security agents conducted a patrol following the letter’s delivery, the terrorists reacted angrily,” he noted.

He reported that at least 75 individuals have been buried, with concerns that the death toll may rise as search efforts continue for additional victims.

“Up until yesterday, we laid to rest 75 individuals. However, as I speak, there are still bodies being found in the nearby bush,” he shared.

He added that many villages were dismantled during the assault, including significant damage to his own home.

“They burned nearly half of the villages, including my residence,” Salihu reported.

The village head confirmed that Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has visited the affected areas and has ordered immediate deployment of additional security forces.

“The governor came to Kiama to assess the situation. He witnessed the devastation firsthand,” Salihu said.

“Immediately, action was taken. They instructed that security be provided, resulting in around 15 soldiers being deployed, increasing the number of security personnel to about 80 in the area,” he concluded.