Terrorists Attack: 78 Corpses Given Mass Burial in Kwara.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
Abuja Democracy Newsline
February 5, 2026.
Woro, a quiet rural community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, has been thrown into deep mourning following a deadly terrorist attack that claimed at least 78 lives, with dozens more still missing and feared dead.
Residents of the community on Wednesday recovered the bodies of 78 victims killed when armed bandits stormed Woro on Tuesday, unleashing terror on the defenceless villagers. The victims—75 men and three women—were laid to rest in a mass burial after Islamic funeral prayers (janazah) were conducted at about 6:30 p.m., shortly before the Magrib prayer.
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The lawmaker representing Gwanabe/Gwaria constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Saidu Baba Ahmed, who witnessed the solemn rites, confirmed the development to journalists. He described the atmosphere as heartbreaking, noting that the scale of the killings had overwhelmed the small agrarian community.
“We have recovered 78 corpses—75 males and three females,” he said. “We performed janazah on them around 6:30 p.m. and commenced burial immediately. Some of the victims were buried in batches of 10, 15 and even 20 in mass graves because of the number involved.”
Hon. Ahmed disclosed that the death toll could rise significantly, as information available to him indicated that as many as 170 people may have been killed during the attack. According to him, villagers are still combing surrounding bushes and farmlands in search of more bodies.
In addition to the killings, at least 35 residents—mostly women—were abducted and taken into the forest by the attackers. Many survivors, he added, have fled their homes and are currently hiding in nearby bushes for fear of further attacks.
“The situation is dire,” the lawmaker said. “Our people are traumatised. Many have lost family members, while others do not know the fate of their loved ones.”
Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, announced on Wednesday night that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate deployment of troops to Kaiama and adjoining areas to confront the bandits.
Speaking at the palace of the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Omar, the governor said a battalion of soldiers under a special military operation code-named Operation Savannah Shield would be deployed to flush out the criminals operating within Kaiama and the National Park areas stretching into neighbouring Niger State.
Describing the attack as “genocide,” Governor Abdulrazaq assured residents that the federal and state governments were committed to restoring peace to the area. He pledged that security forces would decisively deal with the bandits and reclaim all affected communities within the shortest possible time.
“I want to assure the people of Kaiama that they are not alone,” the governor said. “The President has given clear directives, and within one month, these bandits will be flushed out of Kwara and neighbouring states.”
Earlier, an emotional Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Omar, told the gathering that the massacre in Woro was carried out after villagers refused to submit to attempts by the bandits to indoctrinate them with what he described as un-Islamic teachings.
Fighting back tears, the monarch said the attackers resorted to indiscriminate shooting when the villagers rejected their ideology. He further revealed that two vehicles belonging to the village head were seized and used by the bandits to transport some of those abducted.
The attack has once again raised concerns over worsening insecurity in rural communities across the North-Central region, where banditry, kidnappings and attacks on villages have become increasingly frequent. Residents and community leaders are now calling for sustained military presence and improved intelligence to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy.
As Woro buries its dead, the community—and indeed the nation—waits anxiously for the safe return of the abducted and for concrete action to bring the perpetrators to justice.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, FEBRUARY 5TH 2026)
