The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed that at least 75 people lost their lives in the recent attack on communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, disclosed this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief. She said the attack occurred on 3 February at about 5:30 pm and that investigations were ongoing, with the police set to provide further updates as necessary.
According to her, the police command received information about the incident promptly, after which the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, ordered the immediate deployment of officers to the affected communities. She noted that the remote location of the area, which is about two hours from the Kaiama divisional headquarters, posed operational challenges.
Ejire-Adeyemi said police officers, alongside the military and the National Forest Guard, moved into the communities shortly after the attack. She added that investigators were examining reports suggesting that the attackers may have stayed in the area for some time before launching the assault.
She explained that recent clearance operations in Kwara and neighbouring Kogi State had disrupted armed groups, resulting in relative calm in parts of the state until the incident occurred in Kwara North.
The police spokesperson also confirmed that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had ordered increased security deployment in the area. She said the situation had become relatively calm and that security agencies were working to arrest those responsible and prevent a recurrence.
Responding to questions about security presence in Woro village at the time of the attack, Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed that a police post was active in the community. However, she admitted that officers on the ground may have been overwhelmed by the scale of the assault. She said reinforcements arrived later due to the distance from the divisional headquarters, despite collaboration with local vigilantes and the National Forest Guard.
She acknowledged that a stronger security presence might have helped to repel the attackers.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Police Force condemned the incident as tragic and confirmed that a manhunt was underway. Gunmen attacked Woro and the neighbouring Nuku communities on Tuesday, killing at least 75 people, burning shops and a traditional ruler’s residence, and forcing residents to flee. Although some reports suggested higher casualties, authorities confirmed the death toll at 75.
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq described the attack as a “pure massacre” and confirmed that authorities had buried at least 75 victims. President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to reinforce security in the state under Operation Savannah Shield. Political groups, including a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Northern States Governors’ Forum, have condemned the killings as barbaric and a sign of worsening insecurity in the region.