The death toll from Tuesday’s deadly bandits’ attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State has risen to 86, amid conflicting casualty figures from residents and community leaders.
Among those killed were two children of the Woro community village head, one of whom reportedly graduated from a School of Nursing in 2025, according to multiple local sources.
The attackers were also said to have set ablaze the village head’s palace, along with several residential buildings and shops in Woro community, leaving a trail of destruction and displacement.
A community source told journalists that security forces, including soldiers and forest guards, had taken over the affected areas following the attack.
“The casualties are over 40 as we speak, and soldiers and forest guards have taken over the two communities,” the source said.
However, a former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly and community leader from Kaiama, Hon. Aliyu Mande, said the death toll was significantly higher.
“My brother, the casualty figure is more than 40. It is about 86, and two children of the village head were among the victims,” Mande said.
“One of the village head’s children that was killed had just graduated from the School of Nursing in 2025. The bandits also burnt the village head’s palace, shops and residential buildings. We are devastated. The loss of lives and property is huge and unimaginable,” he added.
Another resident of Woro community, Alhaji Usman Ibrahim Woro, also put the casualty figure at about 80, reinforcing claims of a higher death toll.
The attack reportedly occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, when armed bandits stormed the two agrarian communities, shooting indiscriminately and setting houses ablaze. Initial reports had put the number of casualties at 10, before figures rose sharply as search-and-rescue efforts continued.
Kaiama Local Government Area, located in the northern part of Kwara State and bordering forested areas linked to criminal hideouts, has witnessed recurring attacks by armed bandits in recent years.
The vast forests stretching across Kwara, Niger and parts of Kogi states have increasingly been exploited by criminal groups for kidnappings, cattle rustling and deadly raids on rural communities.
Residents have repeatedly called for enhanced security presence and sustained military operations to prevent further attacks and enable displaced villagers to return safely to their homes.
