Bandits attack Kwara communities, kill 10 residents and burn down houses

Armed bandits attacked Woro and Nuku communities in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, k!lling ten residents and razing several houses.

The violent attack occurred around 6:00 pm on Tuesday evening, February 3, 2026 when gunmen, said to be numbering about 200, stormed the villages, shooting sporadically and causing widespread panic as villagers fled to safety.

A community leader in the area confirmed that about 10 people were k!lled and many houses burnt. 

He said the bandits suspected to be hibernating in the forest of the National Park in Borgu, Niger state, invaded the Woro community in a large number. 

Eyewitness said the gunmen moved from house to house, setting buildings ablaze and forcing residents to abandon their homes.

Several villagers were caught in the crossfire as they attempted to escape, while others were k!lled in their homes.

Another resident of Kaiama, Idris Mohammed, said about six corpses were presently lying in the palace of the Emir of Woro, Alhaji Saliu Bio Umar.

The state government, through a statement by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday. 

The statement said Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq mourned victims of the Kaiama attack, adding that security forces had continued to improve on counterterrorism operations. 

“Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is saddened by the cowardly attack on civilians in Woro and Nuku communities of Kaiama Local Government Area,” the statement read. 

“The Governor condemns the attack, which he says is a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following the ongoing counterterrorism campaigns in parts of the state and the successes so far recorded.

“Governor AbdulRazaq says the attack was apparently to distract the security forces who have successfully hunted down several terrorist and kidnapping gangs across many parts of the state. 

“The Governor expresses heartfelt condolences to Woro and Nuku communities on the sad incident, especially the families affected in the Tuesday attack,” he said. 

The lawmaker, representing Kaiama at the Kwara State House of Assembly, Halidu Danbaba, who confirmed the incident appealed to the state and federal governments to extend the recent military action in Kwara South to Kaiama, especially given the resumption of schools in those area.