Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Kaiama, Kwara State, Nigeria — A deadly assault by armed bandits on Woro and Nuku communities in the Kaiama Local Government Area has killed at least 40 people, prompting an intensified security response by Nigerian forces. The attack on Tuesday evening is being described by local sources as one of the worst to hit the area this year, with bodies still being recovered as search efforts continue.
According to residents and local officials, heavily armed gunmen launched a coordinated assault on the two rural communities shortly before dusk. Witnesses reported that villagers were taken by surprise as attackers arrived in large numbers, firing indiscriminately and setting houses and shops ablaze. Many residents fled into surrounding bushland to escape the violence, with some still unaccounted for.
Sources on the ground said bodies were counted at over 40, a figure that reflects both confirmed fatalities and those recovered from farmlands and outskirts of the villages as search teams comb the area. Survivors described scenes of mass panic and destruction, noting that the bandits overwhelmed community defences before withdrawing.
In response to the carnage, soldiers and Forest Guards have taken control of Woro and Nuku, establishing a security presence intended to prevent further bloodshed and deter any return by the attackers. Officials are deploying heightened patrols and conducting searches along likely escape routes, while residents shelter in nearby towns awaiting additional protection.
The state government has confirmed the attack and condemned the violence, with the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life. Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq characterised the assault as a “cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” responding to intensified counterterrorism operations across the region.
Local leaders have linked the incursion to banditry networks operating from forested corridors near the Borgu National Park in neighbouring Niger State, where criminal elements often launch cross‑border raids into rural communities. Some reports suggest the assailants had previously moved through border villages in Niger, preaching radical messages before penetrating deeper into Kwara State.
While authorities have yet to release an official casualty breakdown, figures from state and local sources indicate the death toll may rise as more bodies are found and missing residents are accounted for. Residents also reported significant property destruction, including houses and communal structures burned during the raid.
The deployment of soldiers and specially trained Forest Guards underscores the evolving nature of security threats in north‑central Nigeria, where banditry, militia activity and cross‑border criminal operations have increasingly affected remote farming communities. Such operations, often fuelled by porous borders and dense forest hideouts, have challenged conventional policing efforts and prompted greater military involvement.
The Kwara attack comes amid broader concerns about rising violence in rural parts of Nigeria, where communities are left vulnerable to armed raids, kidnappings and mass shootings. The incident has reignited calls from civic leaders and security experts for enhanced intelligence sharing, community protection measures and sustained military engagement to prevent similar tragedies in other border‑adjacent localities.
As authorities continue their assault response and recovery efforts, families in Woro and Nuku mourn the loss of loved ones, and local officials prepare for mass burials and humanitarian support for survivors displaced by the violence.
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