“BOKO HARAM BLOODBATH: 170 KILLED, WOMEN AND CHILDREN ABDUCTED IN WORO,A KWARA MUSLIM COMMUNITY ATTACK”
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–Suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Woro community in Kwara State, killing at least 170 people and abducting women and children, five months after warning the district head of their plans.
Key Issues:
– _”The terrorists stormed the village, opening fire, setting houses ablaze, and abducting an unspecified number of women and children.”_
– 170 Killed : Death toll rose to 170 as search teams recovered bodies from surrounding bushland.
– _”They counted 170 this afternoon,”_ a resident said, requesting anonymity.
– Warning Letter : Boko Haram notified the district head of Woro, Salihu Umar, of their intention to visit for radical preaching five months prior.
Community Predominantly Muslim : Woro and surrounding Kaiama area are predominantly Muslim
– District Head Missing : Salihu Umar’s whereabouts unknown after attackers razed his palace and stole his Jeep.
– Military Response: President Bola Tinubu ordered deployment of troops to Kwara for “Operation Savannah Shield”.
Reuters earlier quoted a local politician, Sa’idu Ahmed, as estimating the death toll at 40, noting that more bodies were likely to be found.
By Wednesday evening, however, the figure had risen sharply.
A resident who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES from hiding said a search-and-rescue team, escorted by military personnel and forest guards, counted at least 170 bodies.
“They counted 170 this afternoon,” the resident said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
Among those killed was Salihu Ibrahim, a former students’ union leader of the Kwara State College of Nursing, Ilorin.
■ Homes razed, district head missing
Another resident who fled to a nearby forest said the attackers razed houses and shops, including the palace of the district head, Mr Umar.
The district head, like several other villagers, remains missing.
“They also stole his Jeep,” the source said. “They used it to transport some of the kidnapped victims into the forest.”
Many residents, he added, were still taking refuge in nearby bushes as of Wednesday.
“We have been in the bush since yesterday. The gunfire continued until this morning,” he said.
■ Authorities silent, military mobilised
The Kwara State police spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ enquiries.
Like Ms Ejire-Adeyemi, Army spokesperson, Appolonia Anele, did not respond to a message sent to her.
However, Al Jazeera reported that Ms Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed the attack and said military operatives had been deployed to the area, though she did not provide casualty figures.
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■ The letter before the massacre
A community leader in Kaiama, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the attackers had written to the district head of Woro about five months earlier.
The letter, he said, informed the district head of the group’s intention to “come and preach” in the community.
According to the leader, who is also a member of the Kwara State Emirate Council, the district head forwarded the letter to the council in Ilorin, which subsequently requested the deployment of soldiers to Woro.
A team of soldiers was sent, he said, but withdrew after some weeks when no attack occurred.
Instead, the fighters reportedly moved to Baburasa, a neighbouring community about 20 kilometres from Woro.
“They went to Baburasa and preached to the people there about three weeks ago,” the community leader said. “They even mentioned communities they planned to attack, but they did not mention Woro.”
He suggested the omission may have been deliberate.
The leader believes the group attacked Woro because of the district head alerted authorities after receiving the letter.
“As of now, we do not know the whereabouts of the district head,” he said.
■ A widening threat
The Woro attack comes barely a month after Boko Haram fighters under the command of Mallam Sadiku attacked Kasuwan Daji in neighbouring Niger State, killing more than 30 people and abducting women and children.
The same faction was also responsible for the abduction of over 300 students from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
The Sadiku faction of Boko Haram has operated in the Alawa forest reserve from where it attacked neighbouring villages like Alawa, Basa and Kurebe, among others. Although the group has moved to the Kainji axis, it left behind a humanitarian crisis.
Sources, including ex-members of the group, told this reporter that the group left its former stronghold due to sustained military aerial bombardment and infighting with Dogo Gide, a notorious bandit leader Mallam Sadiku had collaborated with to stage violent attacks in North-west and North-central.
SOURCE==PREMIUM TIMES==EXCEPT THE HEADLINE AND INTRO PLUS A FEW PARAGRAPHS
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