‘We are still burying the dead’: Inside Kwara’s massacre

Thirteen more bodies were buried on Thursday at Woro community, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State as residents continued to recover corpses from bushes, following the attack by bandits.

The incident which occurred on Tuesday left over one hundred persons, majority of whom are males, dead.

Community leaders and residents said 75 were buried on Wednesday with many still missing.

As of Thursday, the locals said the village had been completely deserted for fear of further attacks despite the heavy presence of security.

Residents said the search for victims was still ongoing with the death toll still uncertain.

Families of women and children abducted during the assault said they had not been contacted over their loved ones.

Daily Trust reports that heavily armed gunmen, who arrived in large numbers on motorcycles, first converged on a secondary school in the community before launching the coordinated attack.

A resident, Mr Ahmed Yinusa, said the bandits who mostly wore military uniforms, operated for over 10 hours unchallenged.

He said the deplorable state of the road made it difficult for them to get there on time. He said the distance from Kaiama to Woro is over 50 kilometers.

“They came around 5pm on Tuesday, most of them wearing Army uniforms, and started shooting,” a survivor, Dr Abdul Woro, told Daily Trust.

He said “They burnt houses, shops, vehicles and destroyed almost everything.”

The Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Omar and the chairman of the local government, Abubakar Abdullahi, corroborated the figures of those buried on Wednesday.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Thursday, the village head, who lost two children in the attack while his last wife and other children were taken away, said the community was struggling to cope with the scale of the tragedy.

He said no message had been received from any of the kidnapped persons.

“Some were buried today (Thursday) in addition to the 75 yesterday. Several houses and 49 shops were completely burnt. But I am yet to hear anything from my kidnapped wife and children”, he said.

A resident involved in the burial process, Dr Abdul Woro, told Daily Trust that the community had to continue interring bodies as they were recovered.

“We were not able to bury all the bodies yesterday, so we continued today. As of today, we have buried 13 bodies in addition to those buried earlier. We are still searching the bushes for more bodies,” he said.

Woro added that although some residents were still around, many had fled and “the community is completely deserted.”

“There is now security presence in Kaiama,” he said.

The chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area, Abdullahi, said government officials who visited the area saw corpses still lying in parts of the community.

“We went with the government and saw some corpses still on the ground. SEMA has promised to give succour to the victims, and the federal government is also planning interventions,” he said. On casualty figures, he said the confirmed number remained fluid.

“Beyond the 75 earlier recorded, we are still getting reports of corpses being recovered from the bush. We are yet to hear from women and children who were kidnapped and taken away,” he said.

He disclosed that additional troops had been deployed to restore confidence.

“We now have another 50 soldiers and 30 forest guards, fully armed, guarding the area to allay fears,” he added.

The council chairman said about 12 vigilantes were locked inside a building by the attackers and set ablaze, burning them beyond recognition. He, however, denied reports making the rounds that an entire family was wiped out.

“There is no single family that is wiped out completely. I just spoke with the brother of the village head and we were there yesterday, there is nothing like that,” he said.

A resident of the town who also spoke on the issue corroborated the security deployment.

He claimed they buried about 173 and 150 people were abducted from the community, adding that he feels “secure now, as there are at least 50 military men and 30 forest guards deployed.”

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command said it had launched a full scale investigation into the attack.

The police, in statement by its spokesman, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi on Thursday, said preliminary findings indicated that the attackers were suspected to be religious extremists.

“A joint operation involving the police, the military and the National Forest Guards has been activated in the area”, she added.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq also led top security chiefs to Woro and Kaiama for an on-the-spot assessment.

After receiving briefings, the governor said at least 75 people were confirmed killed in the village. He announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of a battalion of soldiers under Operation Savannah Shield.

“I am short of words. We are very sad. We are here to commiserate over the death of your people. May Allah grant them Al Jannah Firdaus,” the governor said.

He described the incident as a massacre, rather than a kidnapping operation, saying victims were allegedly targeted for rejecting a strange ideology.

The governor directed the State Emergency Management Agency to begin enumeration of victims and mobilise humanitarian support.

The Emir of Kaiama told the governor that the attackers were followers of Mahmuda, who preach strange doctrines and attack those who reject their teachings. He thanked the governor and security agencies for their swift response.

Northen govs, UN Secretary-General condemn attacks

The Northern States Governors’ Forum yesterday condemned the spate of violent attacks and killings in parts of Kwara, Katsina and Benue States, describing them as barbaric, senseless and a direct assault on the collective conscience of the nation.

In a statement yesterday, the chairman of the forum and governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, expressed sorrow over the loss of innocent lives, extending his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the affected communities and the governments and people of the three states.

“These heinous acts of violence are unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms.

“The relentless targeting of defenceless citizens, including women, children and the elderly, lays bare the inhumanity of these attackers and underscores the pressing necessity for firm and decisive action,” he said.

He urged the nation’s security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated operations to track down the perpetrators and their backers, stressing that the protection of lives and property remains a sacred duty.

Similarly, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, in a statement on Thursday by his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said the UN was in solidarity with Nigeria and supports the government’s efforts to combat terrorism.

“The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Nigeria. He wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.

“The Secretary-General reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government and people of Nigeria in their efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism and stresses the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice,” the statement read.

Residents, security experts link attack to Mahmuda terrorists

Residents and security experts, who spoke to Daily Trust yesterday, linked the attack in Kaiama to the activities of the Mahmuda group.

Residents said the arrest of the Mahmuda leader had little impact on the community.

“The news of their arrest has not changed much here. In Kaiama town, the presence of soldiers patrolling has brought some relief, but you cannot dare go into the bush to farm or do anything. The soldiers operate and return to town, leaving the terrorists to regroup inside the forest. That is why they still carry out pockets of attacks and disappear,” he stated.

A village head in Kaiama, Hussein Mohammed, in a chat with Daily Trust also expressed concern, noting that while residents welcomed the arrest of the leaders, the problem persists.

“The arrested leaders have trained men who have already taken over; more than 300 of them. The security forces are trying, but they cannot be everywhere. The situation is even worse than before because the terrorists are no longer friendly with residents unlike before the military onslaught,” he said.

A security expert and retired DSS director, Abdulsalam Bolakale Suleiman, however, said the arrests would weaken the groups and reassure citizens that the government is not idle. But he warned that security agencies must not stop at their arrests alone.

“They should go further to dismantle the groups completely, even if it cannot be done immediately,” he said.

Suleiman linked the persistence of insurgency to poverty and lack of basic amenities.

“When people lack livelihoods, food, healthcare, and farmers cannot access markets, insecurity thrives. The government must address human security, or the problem will persist.

“In the Kaiama-Baruten axis, much of it is aided by locals. Those riding hundreds of motorcycles into communities are not ghosts; they pass through villages with people watching,” he said.

He also urged the government to make intelligence gathering attractive again.

“During our service, we had an Information Fund (IF) for informants. We gave them money, helped their children with school admissions, even watched football together. These incentives encouraged people to share information. today, there is little or no motivation. Add to that the porous borders and self-interest of some officers; the problem deepens. Look at the recent Immigration and Correctional Service recruitment, 1.5 million applied nationwide. Yet even 500,000 officers cannot effectively cover two local governments in Kwara.

“The government must wake up and redesign the country’s security architecture. The current template will not take us far,” he stated.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adekimi Ojo, attributed the attack to an ISWAP-linked group operating around the Kainji National Park.

Also, the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Omar, said “Since the recent arrest of Mahmuda leaders and their boys, they have become very violent.”

Woro is located about 30 kilometres from Kaiama town and approximately 35 kilometres from Wawa in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, around the Kainji National Park axis.

Last year, there were reports that the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had arrested Abubakar Abba, the suspected leader of the Mahmuda terror group, in Wawa town, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State had announced the arrest in a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Bologi.

The governor said the DSS apprehended Abba alive in an intelligence-led operation, without any gunfire, and subsequently transferred him to Abuja for further investigation.

The Mahmuda group has been identified by security agencies as one of the armed militant organisations operating across parts of Niger State and neighbouring Kwara State, where it has been linked to repeated attacks on communities, kidnappings and violent incursions in rural areas.

Then, Governor Bago described the capture as a major victory in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against insecurity.

He said the successful operation demonstrates the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the nation’s security architecture to protect citizens and dismantle terror cells that have terrorised border communities for years.

Although the DSS did not publicly release detailed operational information, the arrest then was widely welcomed in affected communities of Kwara and Niger States with jubilation.

Terrorists won’t go scot-free – Military

The military high command yesterday said terrorists in Kwara State and all parts of the country would not go scot-free for sending innocent citizens to their respective early graves.

It also called on all Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, religious or regional identity to resist any form of ideological indoctrination by violent extremist groups.

The Director, Defence Information, Samaila Uba, explained that the Defence Headquarters was shocked over the tragic loss of innocent lives in what he described as “the recent cowardly terrorist attacks.”

Reacting to the incident via a statement on Thursday, Uba, a Major-General, maintained that the military would track down the terrorists responsible for the dastardly act.

He said, “Efforts will continue to be intensified by the military in conjunction with other security agencies towards finding and bringing to account those responsible for the dastardly attack and indeed all terrorists in the country.”

The senior military officer urged citizens to remain steadfast in their faith in the Nigerian Constitution, their individual beliefs and to uphold the shared values that bind our nation together.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) commends the indomitable Nigerian spirit exhibited by various Nigerian communities that have been targeted by terrorists.

“This remarkable spirit was again exhibited by the resilient people of Woro and neighbouring communities who stood firm against violent coercion and refused to abandon their way of life and constitutional loyalty despite threats.

Yesterday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The president, in a statement said he met with the Kwara governor “to be debriefed on the incident in Kaiama LGA.”

While condemning the attack in the strongest terms, as “cowardly and beastly attack,” President Tinubu said the gunmen were heartless for choosing soft targets in their doomed campaign of terror and that their actions offend our humanity, “our faith, and our shared values as a nation.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), I directed the immediate deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, following the horrific attack on innocent villagers in Worro. This new military command will spearhead Operation Savannah Shield to checkmate these barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities.

“It is particularly disturbing that the victims were killed because they rejected an attempt at forced indoctrination. As I said, “It is commendable that the community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a weird belief that promoted violence over peace and dialogue. Nigeria will never surrender people to extremism and terrorism masquerading as faith.

“I have further directed close collaboration between federal and state agencies to provide immediate support and relief to the affected community and to ensure that those responsible for this atrocity are pursued and brought to justice, just like other terrorists before them. They will not go scot-free”.

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, in a statement by his spokesman, Musa Krishi, yesterday condemned the latest killings in Kwara and Benue States.

He called for drastic and concerted efforts by all stakeholders to protect lives and property.

By Mumini Abdulkareem (Ilorin), Itodo Daniel Sule, Baba Martins, Idowu Isamotu (Abuja) & Haruna Gimba Yaya (Gombe)

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