No fewer than forty persons have been confirmed dead following a deadly bandits’ attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday evening.
In the aftermath of the attack, soldiers and forest guards have taken over the affected communities to restore calm and prevent further violence.
A credible source within the local government, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development during an interview on Wednesday morning.
“The casualties are over forty as we speak, and soldiers and forest guards have taken over the two communities. It is a very sad development, especially at a time we thought there was peace after previous bandits’ attacks,” the source said.
Recall that bandits, in a renewed onslaught, attacked Woro and Nuku communities on Tuesday evening, leaving many families devastated.
Vanguard reliably gathered that several residents lost their lives during the violent attack, while many houses were reportedly set ablaze by the attackers.
Further investigations revealed that the assailants, believed to have come from neighbouring villages in Niger State, had earlier been moving around nearby communities preaching to residents to abandon the Nigerian Constitution and embrace the Qur’an.
Credible sources told Vanguard that the same group infiltrated Woro and Nuku communities to continue the preaching. However, dissenting voices reportedly challenged the message during the gathering, angering the bandits.
“The dissenting voices infuriated them, and they began shooting indiscriminately at the congregation. No fewer than forty residents of the two communities were killed, while a few others managed to escape. As we speak, preparations are ongoing for a mass burial,” the source added, pleading not to be named.
Security presence has since been intensified in the area as residents grapple with the aftermath of the attack.
