Some residents of Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have begun to share harrowing details of how jihadists stormed the communities, killed over 100 people, and displaced hundreds of families.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers arrived under the cover of darkness, riding on motorcycles and wielding sophisticated weaponry.
Residents of the affected areas described a scene of chaos as the invaders moved from house to house.
Residents also revealed that the attackers were jihadists who had previously preached in the community, demanding that villagers renounce allegiance to the Nigerian state in favour of Sharia law.
A younger brother of the traditional ruler of Woro, Mr. Ali Umar, told the press that: “They came around 5pm and surrounded the community.
“They started shooting sporadically from all angles so nobody could escape,” he said.
Umar explained that residents who attempted to flee were shot, while those who surrendered were gathered at the palace of the village head, where they were tied up and shot.
He further revealed that the wife of the traditional ruler of the community, Hauwa Umar, his mother, and three of his children were among those abducted during the attack.
“The chief’s wife, his mother, and three of his children are missing.
“That makes five people from his household unaccounted for,” he added.
Umar said the community was thrown into panic by the jihadists that stormed the Kwara communities, with many residents fleeing their homes and leaving the town almost deserted.
“The people were scared, and the community is now nearly empty.
“What we need now is increased security presence to restore confidence and allow people to return,” he said.
He noted that there had been prior intelligence reports of a possible attack, which were reportedly communicated to the local government authorities and shared with higher levels of government.
Umar added that some soldiers had earlier patrolled the area on the day of the attack, saying this had initially deterred the terrorists.
There have been conflicting reports about the number of those killed by the jihadists who stormed the Kwara communities.
The Secretary of the Kwara State chapter of the Red Cross, Babaomo Ayodeji, said the confirmed death toll stood at 162 as of Wednesday afternoon.
However, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, who arrived in Kaiama on Wednesday night in the company of service chiefs and cabinet members, said that 75 people were massacred for refusing to surrender to extremists preaching a strange doctrine.
The governor, who commiserated with the communities, announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion to carry out counter-offensives in the area.
He said the security initiative was codenamed Operation Savannah Shield.
“The injured were later taken to the General Hospital, but some were referred to the Teaching Hospital,” he added.
AbdulRazaq condemned the attack, describing it as a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following ongoing counterterrorism campaigns and the successes recorded so far in parts of the state.
He said: “From the information we’ve been getting, this village refused to succumb to a perverted form of Islamic doctrine,” Abdulrazaq said.
“They aligned under the emirate, abiding by the Islamic faith. They didn’t want an alteration to how they pray to God, how they pray to Allah. Because they refused a change in the doctrine, they were attacked and massacred.
“It’s different from what we used to see when people were kidnapped for ransom. But this was just a pure massacre and should be condemned.”
Also, President Bola Tinubu has condemned the attack by the jihadists who stormed the Kwara communities.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, quoted Tinubu as saying the new military command will spearhead “Operation Savannah Shield” to “checkmate the barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities”.
The statement reads: “President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama Local Government, Kwara State, where Boko Haram terrorists overnight killed hapless villagers in Worro.
“President Tinubu said the new military command will spearhead Operation Savannah Shield to checkmate the barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities.
“He condemned the cowardly and beastly attack and described the gunmen as heartless for choosing soft targets in their doomed campaign of terror.
“President Tinubu expressed rage that the attackers killed the community members who rejected their obnoxious attempt at indoctrination, choosing instead to practice Islam that is neither extreme nor violent.
“It’s commendable that the community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a weird belief that promoted violence over peace and dialogue,” he said.
“The President urged collaboration between federal and state agencies to provide succour to members of the community and ensure those who committed the atrocities do not go scot-free.
“President Tinubu prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased and condoled with those who lost family members. He also condoled with the people and the government of Kwara State.”
