Residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have abandoned their homes en masse, fleeing into neighbouring Niger State after a brutal terrorist attack that local officials say left well over 170 people dead.
The assault began on a Tuesday evening and stretched into the early hours of the following day, as gunmen reportedly stormed the agrarian settlement and surrounding hamlets, shooting indiscriminately and setting properties ablaze. Survivors described a night of chaos in which families scattered into nearby forests, many unable to account for missing relatives.
By the end of the attack, Woro had effectively emptied out. A viral video circulating on social media shows scores of displaced residents who made it to Wawa, a town in Niger State, huddled by the roadside with their belongings piled around them. Several vehicles believed to have transported them from Kwara are parked nearby, while women, children and the elderly sit under makeshift tents or directly on the bare ground, visibly exhausted.
Local authorities confirm that the community has been reduced to a ghost town. The Special Assistant to the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area, ZulQharnain Musa, said Woro was completely deserted as residents fled in multiple directions in search of safety.
According to Musa, some survivors escaped through dense forest paths and ended up in Baruten Local Government Area, while others sought refuge in Kaiama town and across the state boundary in Niger. He noted that entire households left with little more than the clothes they were wearing, unsure when or if they would be able to return.
Security forces have since been deployed to the area in an attempt to stabilise the situation. Musa disclosed that an army battalion is now stationed in and around Woro on the orders of the federal authorities, tasked with securing the community and preventing further incursions.
Despite the military presence, fear remains pervasive among the displaced. Many residents are reluctant to go back, citing the scale of the killings, the trauma of the attack and doubts about how long security can be guaranteed. Host communities in Niger and other parts of Kwara are now grappling with the sudden influx of people in need of shelter, food and medical care, as Woro’s future hangs in the balance.