How security failure left Worro vulnerable to killers

The head of Worro community in Kwara State, Umar Bio Salihu has claimed that armed bandits operated in the area for about 10 hours before security operatives arrived, after dozens were massacred and many homesteads burnt down

Speaking on ARISE Television on Thursday, Salihu said the attackers began their operation around 5pm, but soldiers only arrived at about 3am the following day.

“I called after 5pm, but they did not come until about 3am. That was from 5pm to about 3am. That is about 10 hours,” he said.

“The military did not attack them. The bandits had gone when the military came,” Salihu added, noting that there was no air interdiction during the assault.

He said the community had been left exposed after soldiers previously stationed in the area were withdrawn following an earlier attack on the base.

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“Initially, we had a military base there. We had about 15 soldiers there. About three to five months ago, they attacked the soldiers. Since then, they evacuated them. We have no security presence in that area,” he said.

“That gave them the opportunity to come anytime, enter anytime and do whatever they like.”

Salihu identified the attackers as members of the Mamuda terrorist group, saying the assault followed the community’s rejection of the group’s ideology.

“Our people are not ready to take that ideology. I think that is what made them angry to come and attack the communities,” he said.

He dismissed claims that the killings were religiously motivated, stating that most of the victims were Muslims.

“The people they killed are mostly Muslims. About 95 per cent are Muslims and five per cent are Christians. They are not all Muslim, but the Muslims are the majority,” Salihu said.

The village head said he had earlier reported a threat letter allegedly sent by the attackers to security agencies, raising concerns that sensitive information may have been compromised.

“When they brought the letter, they brought it directly to me. That night, I sent the letter to the DSS in Kiama,” he said.

“The following day, I took the letter myself to the Emirate Council. They photocopied it. In that process, I think they lost the appropriate contact,” he added.

“When the security agents went on patrol after the letter, the terrorists became angry.”

Salihu said at least 75 people had been buried, warning that the death toll could rise as bodies were still being recovered from the bush.

He added that several villages were razed during the attack, including his own home.

“They burned almost half of the villages, including my house,” he said.

According to him, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq later visited the affected communities and ordered the deployment of security personnel.

The attacks come amid renewed violence across parts of north-central and north-west Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday approved the immediate deployment of an Army battalion to the area under a new counter-offensive operation, as troops and forest guards moved into the communities to restore security.