According to the Red Cross, at least 162 people are feared killed following coordinated attacks on Woro and Nuku villages in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
What Happened in Woro and Buku?
The attack which occurred on Tuesday was confirmed by Mohammed Omar Bio, the lawmaker representing the area, who stated the casualty figure on Wednesday and also added that the assailants are suspected members of Lakurawa, an armed group linked to the “Islamic State”. However, no group has claimed responsibility. 
The Emir of Kaiama, Omar Muazu, disclosed to TVC News that the bandits had earlier sent a letter to the community, notifying residents of their intention to ‘come and preach’.
However, the visit became a deadly one, as the group instead carried out a massacre of the inhabitants.
Locals said when the attackers had previously visited, they demanded that residents abandon allegiance to the Nigerian state and adopt Sharia law. The violence reportedly followed after resistance from the communities.
Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, a politician in the Kaiama region, told Reuters that the terrorists rounded up residents, tied their hands behind their backs and executed them. He said homes and shops were also set ablaze.
“I am in the village along with military personnel, sorting dead bodies and searching nearby areas,” Ahmed said. Several people, including a traditional ruler, are still missing.
The Red Cross secretary in Kwara state, Ayodeji Emmanuel Babaomo, said that the organisation had not yet been able to reach the communities, as villages are in a remote area about eight hours from the state capital and near Nigeria’s border with Benin.
The Government’s Response
In response to the ongoing military operations against armed extremists in the state, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq issued a statement on Wednesday calling the attack “a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells”.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate deployment of a battalion of soldiers to the location. In his words, “The bandits have murdered sleep, and they shall be met with full force.”
Despite the intensification of Nigeria’s military operations in recent weeks against jihadists and armed bandits in the area, this killing still occurred.
A Pattern of Violence and Bloodshed
This attack is already being described as one of the deadliest Nigeria has witnessed this year. It comes just weeks after another deadly incident in Katsina State, where gunmen killed more than 20 people. An attack said to have ended a 6-month peace arrangement between the community and armed groups.
Nigeria’s deadliest massacre happened in 2015, around Baga, a town on the border with Chad where 2000 people were killed.
When incidents like these are placed side by side, it becomes harder to ignore the fact that large-scale violence against civilians is not only continuing but also getting more brutal.
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With the recent deployment of U.S. personnel, there is cautious hope that this partnership could lead to a more effective approach to tackling insecurity; however, what makes the Kaiama killings even more unsettling is that they happened despite ongoing military operations and repeated assurances that security has improved.
While the military support may strengthen intelligence and response capacity, many Nigerians are left asking a simple question: why do attacks of this magnitude still occur?
It is an uncomfortable conversation, but a necessary one, especially for communities that continue to pay the highest price while waiting to feel the impact of these security efforts on the ground.
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