Umar Bologi
Kwara
Four months after one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in recent memory struck the Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, signs of life are gradually returning. Through the stories of survivors, Musa Umar Bologi, who visited the community, chronicles the painful journey from displacement, loss and trauma to recovery and renewed hope.
Fatima Bio sat beneath the shade where she sold local delicacies in Woro, an agrarian community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. For years, the business had sustained her and her six children, providing a steady source of income. On a good day, she made sales of more than ₦45,000, a livelihood she considered a blessing. But everything changed when terrorists invaded their area reportedly killing dozens of people across affected communities.
Like many residents, Fatima fled for her life, abandoning her home, business, and possessions. After spending several weeks in New Bussa, Niger State, she finally returned to her ancestral home. Her return, like that of hundreds of other displaced residents, followed sustained military operations and security interventions that restored a measure of peace to the area.
“I might not have recovered everything I lost, but I am picking up the pieces of my life,” Fatima said as she cradled her three-month-old baby and attended to customers at her modest food stall.
"Before the attack by armed men, I used to sell out my food before noon. Now, it is already 2 p.m., and I haven't sold even half of what I prepared. Although people are gradually returning, the market has yet to fully recover. But thank God the village is peaceful again, thanks to presence of the soldiers.”
The gradual return of residents has also been aided by initiatives undertaken by the Kwara State Government, including the deployment of forest guards and enhanced support for local vigilante groups, measures that have helped reverse the tide of insecurity in the region.
Like Fatima, Fausat Bello, a soft drink and vegetable trader, is gradually rebuilding her life; even though she is still recovering from the trauma of the attacks and the painful memories, she remains hopeful about the future.
The return of relative peace has enabled her to resume her business and reconnect with her means of livelihood. Although economic activities have yet to fully recover, Fausat believes that stability will eventually restore the community's vibrancy and help residents regain what they lost.
"Business is still slow because many people have not yet returned,” said Fausat, looking towards the crates of soft drinks piling in front of her shop. “We are simply managing to survive. We fled the village after the attack and only recently returned from where we sought refuge.
"My parents advised us to leave Woro permanently, but this is where I earn my livelihood. My husband also built our home here. There is nowhere else for us to go.
"Our prayer is that, as peace gradually returns, more people will come back and life will begin to improve again. We hope the village will return to its former state, where peace and tranquillity prevailed.”
She recalled that Woro was once a vibrant and prosperous community, where indigene and visitors coexisted peacefully and pursued their livelihoods without fear.
“Before the incident, this village was home to both indigene and visitors, and everyone went about their daily activities without fear,” Fausat said.
“Businesses were thriving, religious gatherings were taking place, weddings were being planned, and life was moving on normally. In fact, many people had made plans to celebrate Sallah in grand style this year.
"Then the gunmen came and changed everything, destroying lives and shattering our plans.”
The day fear gripped Woro...
What began as an ordinary day in Woro community on February 3, 2026, ended in one of the deadliest attacks recorded in Kwara State in recent years.
Residents had gone about their normal activities until about 5:30 p.m. when unfamiliar faces began entering the village from different directions.
“Initially, we assumed the newcomers were security personnel,” said Shuaibu Bello, a pharmacist who runs a clinic in the community. “However, their unusual movements soon raised suspicion, prompting many residents to retreat into their homes.”
Moments later, the attackers opened fire indiscriminately and set houses ablaze. By the time survivors emerged from hiding the following morning, more than 100 people had reportedly been killed, while several others had been abducted.
The gruesome attack sparked widespread national and international condemnation. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the killings as “cowardly and beastly.” In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the President directed immediate deployment of an Army battalion to the affected areas.
Where the forest meets fear...
The tragedy in Woro and the neighbouring village of Nuku was not an isolated incident. Rather, it highlighted a growing pattern of insecurity across the country, where rural communities have increasingly come under attack from terrorists and armed criminal groups.
Woro is located in Kaiama Local Government Area within Kwara North Senatorial District. The district comprises Kaiama, Moro, Edu, Baruten and Patigi local government areas. In recent months, the area has witnessed a series of terrorist and bandit attacks that have claimed lives, displaced residents and disrupted economic activities.
Communities in Kaiama and Baruten have been particularly vulnerable to attacks allegedly carried out by terrorists operating from the fringes of the Kainji National Park. The attack is part of a wider pattern of insecurity that has impacted several communities in the region in recent years.
Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, which shares a boundary with Kaiama, has experienced similar attacks in recent years. Both Borgu and Kaiama share significant geographical similarities. Communities in the two areas lie along the fringes of the Kainji National Park and within poorly governed border zones that armed groups have increasingly exploited as transit routes and operational bases.
Security analysts say these difficult terrains, coupled with limited state presence, have enabled armed groups to move across state boundaries with relative ease. As a result, the killings in Woro represent more than a single act of violence. They underscore the broader security challenges facing communities around the Kainji Lake region and highlights the urgent need for sustained military operations, improved intelligence gathering and stronger community protection measures.
Security Gains Amid Lingering Risks
In the aftermath of the attack, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the deployment of an Army battalion to the troubled axis, a move aimed at shielding vulnerable communities and restoring public confidence.
The intervention went beyond troop deployment. The President also approved the operationalisation of Operation Savannah Shield, a special security operation designed to confront armed groups operating across Kwara North and parts of Niger State.
The offensive brought an influx of military personnel, police units and National Forest Guards, backed by improved intelligence gathering and rapid-response mechanisms.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement, said the measures “reflected the administration's determination to protect lives and preserve citizens' freedom to live and worship without fear.”
Evidence of the renewed security push is difficult to miss. A journey from Kishi, the gateway to Kaiama, reveals a landscape under watch.
Along the route, security and surveillance checkpoints dot the highway, while armed personnel patrol strategic locations, particularly around forest corridors that have long served as hideouts and escape routes for criminal groups. Their presence has brought a measure of reassurance to travellers and residents alike.
Military authorities say sustained security operations under Operation Savannah Shield have significantly weakened the ability of terrorists and bandits to launch large-scale attacks on communities across Kwara North.
According to the Brigade Commander 22 Brigade, Brigadier-General Nicholas Rume, the operation has changed the security landscape, denying criminal groups the freedom they once enjoyed.
"Since the launch of Savannah Shield, our deployments and operational posture have ensured that terrorists no longer have the freedom to move through villages and carry out attacks the way they used to," he said.
He explained that security forces have focused on pushing criminal elements away from populated areas and deeper into the forests.
"We have continued to drive them as far away as possible from communities and human activities. The challenge in Kwara and neighbouring areas is the terrain. The vegetation is vast, and many communities are isolated."
The commander noted that some villages are separated by several kilometres of dense forest, creating opportunities for criminals to strike and disappear before security forces can respond.
"You can travel five kilometres through thick bush before reaching the next settlement. These communities are surrounded by forests, allowing criminals to enter a village and quickly escape. Even if they spend only a few minutes there, tracking them afterwards becomes extremely difficult."
To address the challenge, the military has increased troop deployments where possible and strengthened community-based security measures.
"We have made significant efforts to improve security. While it is not practical to station soldiers in every community, we have increased troop presence and established dedicated hotlines for communities to report threats."
The strategy, he said, is yielding results.
"There have been remarkable improvements. The number of kidnappings and attacks on villages has reduced drastically since February."
The military's approach has also evolved from merely protecting communities to actively pursuing criminal groups in their hideouts.
"We have reached a stage where we are not only pushing them out of towns but also pursuing them wherever they are hiding."
Despite the gains, the commander acknowledged that operations in difficult terrain come with risks.
"Occasionally, there are setbacks. Troops can run into ambushes, and unfortunately, those risks are part of military operations."
He disclosed that some of the most dangerous situations arise when criminals receive support from local informants.
"In some cases, troops have been lured into dangerous situations through false information. We once received reports that a village was under attack. Troops rushed to respond, but on their return, they were ambushed. We lost personnel in that incident."
However, he stressed that such cases do not reflect the attitude of most residents.
"We have a positive relationship with communities. The vast majority of residents support our efforts and cooperate with us. Unfortunately, every society has a few bad eggs who serve as informants for bandits and terrorists."
Community collaboration, he added, remains one of the military's strongest assets in the fight against insecurity.
"I recently met with traditional rulers from villages in Kwara and Borgu. Together, we discussed ways to strengthen local vigilante groups and improve joint patrols."
According to him, local communities continue to provide valuable intelligence that helps security forces track criminal activities and prevent attacks before they occur.
"A lot of the time, they provide us with very useful information, and that cooperation has been critical to our successes.”
For many locals, the operations have gradually yielded results, as peace is gradually returning to the communities.
"This area is peaceful now, and people have resumed their normal activities," said Semirat Shuaibu, a trader in Kaiama.
"Even Woro, which came under attack recently, is calm again. What people hear in the media may create a different impression, but things are relatively peaceful here now. The only challenge is that some farmers are still hesitant to return to far-flung farms because of fear of possible attacks."
Government officials and local chiefs also say the Kaiama-Woro axis has witnessed a significant military build-up, including several Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) established to protect communities and sustain pressure on armed groups.
Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area, Abubakar Abdullahi Danladi, credited the improved security situation to the combined efforts of the Federal Government, the military and the Kwara State Government.
He noted that, alongside additional troop deployments, the state strengthened local security architecture through the recruitment of forest guards and support for vigilante groups.
Danladi particularly commended President Tinubu for approving the establishment of Forward Operating Bases in strategic locations across the area.
"We appreciate the President for approving a military battalion for Kaiama," he said. "Although there is a battalion in New Bussa, poor road conditions often made rapid deployment difficult. To address this challenge, Forward Operating Bases were established in Kemanji, Kaiama and Woro."
According to him, the security footprint in the area has expanded significantly.
"We now have a high concentration of military and security personnel across the local government. In Woro alone, there are more than 400 security operatives. We also have about 100 well-equipped forest guards and over 50 vigilantes supported by the state government.
"The FOB in Kemanji has more than 130 soldiers, while another deployment of about 100 troops is stationed in Luku. These measures have greatly strengthened security across the area."
The impact is perhaps most visible in Woro, where signs of recovery are gradually replacing memories of fear.
Village Head of Woro, Alhaji Umar Bio Salihu, recalled how residents fled en masse when the community came under attack.
"Immediately after the attack, people abandoned the village and ran for their lives," he said.
Today, however, the story is changing. According to him, the reinforcement of security by the Federal Government, supported by the Kwara State Government under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has encouraged displaced residents to return and rebuild their lives.
"There is a strong presence of soldiers, mobile police officers and forest guards in and around the community," Salihu said.
"Those who fled to New Bussa, Wawa and neighbouring settlements have gradually returned. Alhamdulillah, more than 80 per cent of our people are back. As security continues to improve, we are encouraging others to return as well."
Despite the marked improvement in security across the affected communities, Brigadier-General Rume cautioned that the battle against criminal elements is far from over.
“I do not think we are returning to the pre-October situation,” he said. “Criminality will always exist.”
He stressed that while security threats may persist, the military and other security agencies remain committed to maintaining the upper hand over criminal groups.
“These groups move. They adapt. Our job is to stay ahead of them,” he said.
His remarks underscore the reality that security is not a destination but a continuous process, requiring sustained vigilance, intelligence gathering and coordinated operations to prevent a resurgence of violence.
But while fears have not completely disappeared, especially among farmers whose fields lie deep in the forests, the increased security presence has given many residents something that had become scarce in recent months: hope.
How Kwara State Government Tesponded…immediate relief for Woro
When terrorists attacked Woro, the state government's response was swift, according to Prof. Mamman Saba Jibril, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG)..
“On the night of the incident, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited the affected communities and immediately mobilised security agencies to protect residents and secure the area,” he said.
The governor subsequently constituted a committee led by a traditional ruler from the area to assess the damage and coordinate relief efforts.
According to Jibril, the government released funds to support the committee's work, including documenting casualties, assessing property losses and distributing relief materials such as food, clothing and other essentials to affected residents.
“After receiving the committee's report, the governor approved another tranche of funds - about N120 million - for reconstruction,” he said.
The funds were used to rebuild damaged shops, rehabilitate the village head's palace, drill boreholes, fumigate affected communities and restore basic infrastructure needed for normal life to resume.
The village head of Woro, Salihu, corroborated the government's account, describing the intervention as both timely and impactful.
“Immediately after the attack, the governor came to our aid,” he said. “He ordered the fumigation of the entire village and provided new boreholes because all sources of potable water had been destroyed by the terrorists.”
Salihu, who served on the reconstruction committee, said funds were also released to rebuild about 49 shops destroyed during the attack and to rehabilitate his palace.
“The reconstruction is being carried out in phases,” he explained. “We have started with ten shops, and once they are completed, work will continue on the remaining ones.”
Relief materials were delivered promptly to affected residents, he added. The fumigation exercise became necessary because of the gruesome nature of the attack.
“The terrorists locked some residents inside a room, poured petrol on them and set it ablaze,” he recalled. “Some victims were burnt beyond recognition, and the resulting stench spread across the village. That was why the government carried out the fumigation.”
A broader security strategy
Jibril said the response to the Woro attack was part of a wider security strategy the state had begun implementing long before the incident. The approach combines military support, community surveillance, humanitarian assistance and economic interventions aimed at preventing criminal groups from establishing a foothold in vulnerable communities.
A key component of the strategy was the deployment of more than 1,000 forest guards and local hunters to identified flashpoints across Kwara North and parts of the southern senatorial district.
“At the centre of the strategy was the deployment of over 1,000 trained forest guards and local hunters funded by the state government,” Jibril said. “Their mission was to deny criminal elements safe havens in forests increasingly used as hideouts by bandits and other armed groups.”
Although the Forest Guard initiative originated as a federal programme, Kwara was among the first states to operationalise it, funding the training and stipends of personnel before the Federal Government assumed responsibility. The state is also developing an additional security outfit to strengthen its local security architecture.
The government has equally expanded collaboration with federal security agencies. According to Jibril, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq worked with the Nigerian Army and the Office of the National Security Adviser to secure additional troop deployments to vulnerable local government areas and support joint operations targeting criminal networks in forested regions.
Institutional reforms have also complemented field operations. In November 2025, the state established a cabinet-level security committee chaired by Deputy Governor Elder Kayode Alabi to engage stakeholders, including traditional rulers, and recommend measures for improving security.
That effort was reinforced in April 2026 with the inauguration of the Kwara State Security Strategy Committee, a body of retired senior military officers and security experts tasked with advising the government on emerging threats and long-term security planning.
Beyond policy initiatives, the state has continued to provide operational support to security agencies.
“Security may be on the exclusive legislative list, but we cannot fold our arms,” Jibril said. “We have military deployments across the three senatorial districts, particularly in Kaiama, Edu, Patigi and Ifelodun.”
He said the government has provided monthly funding for military operations for more than a year, covering logistics such as feeding, fuel and mobility.
“The police and other security agencies also receive operational support from the state, including special deployments approved by the Inspector-General of Police,” he said.
“Even intelligence-led operations, including drone surveillance, have received logistical backing. We ensure security agencies have the support they need to carry out their responsibilities effectively.”
The Road Back To Woro...
The drive from Kaiama to Woro offers a revealing glimpse into the realities of life in the area. Vast stretches of farmland dominate the landscape. At first, farmers can be seen tending crops and carrying out their daily activities.
But as the journey progresses, signs of cultivation become increasingly scarce. Large swathes of once-productive farmland now lie abandoned, lending credence to residents' accounts that insecurity has forced many farmers away from their distant fields.
According to locals, only farms near their communities remain accessible. Venturing farther into the countryside has become a risk many are unwilling to take, fearing abduction by armed groups that have, in recent years, terrorised parts of the region.
Before reaching Woro, visitors pass through four military checkpoints — visible reminders of the security efforts aimed at protecting vulnerable communities. Yet, upon entering the village, an unexpected calm prevails. Children move about freely, farmers return from nearby fields, and daily life appears to flow at its usual pace.
It is a tranquillity that belies recent history. Just four months earlier, Woro was the scene of a devastating attack by armed assailants, an invasion that shattered lives and left scars that remain fresh in the memories of its residents. Beneath the village's quiet exterior lies a community still grappling with the aftermath of violence, while hoping for the return of lasting peace.
Wheels Never Roll Smoothly...
The journey to Kaiama begins long before one reaches the town itself. Travellers approaching from Oyo State must first pass through Kishi, a quiet border settlement that serves as a gateway to the vast expanse beyond. Yet, little prepares a visitor for what lies ahead until they arrive at a narrow colonial-era bridge — a relic of another age, so constricted that only one vehicle can cross at a time.
Beyond the bridge, the realities of the route gradually unfold. Security personnel become a constant presence, with checkpoints and surveillance posts appearing at intervals of five to ten kilometres. Their watchful eyes hint at the security challenges that have shaped life in this remote corridor.
As the road winds deeper into the region, dense forests rise on both sides, stretching endlessly into the horizon. The landscape is beautiful yet intimidating, its thick vegetation providing both scenic allure and a reminder of the dangers that have, at times, lurked within. The red-earth road snakes through the wilderness, scarred by deep potholes capable of swallowing a vehicle's tyre.
Despite its deplorable condition, it remains the lifeline of the area, traversed daily by small vehicles, heavy-duty trucks hauling marble stones from nearby quarries and fuel tankers supplying communities scattered across the region.
In 2022, hopes were raised when the Federal Government approved a ₦27 billion contract for the comprehensive reconstruction of the 61.85-kilometre Kishi-Kaiama road, building on the state government's earlier grading efforts.
Four years later, however, those hopes remain largely unfulfilled. The road continues to bear the marks of neglect, leaving residents and travellers alike to grapple with the same difficult conditions that have defined the route for decades.
Although the Federal Government has commenced construction of another road - 130-kilometre Bode Saadu–Kaiama road - the project is yet to be completed.
Funded by BUA Group under the Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, the N350 billion project was initially conceived by the Kwara State Government in 2020, but due to its enormous cost, the state later sought federal intervention to ensure its execution.
Built with rigid concrete pavement and designed to endure for decades, the road promises more than a smoother journey to Kaiama, Baruten and neighbouring communities. It is expected to open new economic frontiers, deepen trade with the Republic of Benin and other West African countries, and advance the vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
However, construction has been disrupted by repeated attacks on workers by armed groups, forcing work to slow and, at times, come to a halt.
Full Recovery Still Underway...
Despite sustained military operations and extensive government interventions, Woro is not yet a story of victory. It is a community still rebuilding - a fragile recovery sustained by the presence of security forces, the vigilance of residents, government support and an enduring determination to move forward.
While the attacks may have subsided, the scars remain. For many residents, recovery is measured not merely by the absence of violence, but by the gradual return of livelihoods, rescue of their loved ones from the terrorists' captivity, confidence and the everyday rhythms of life that once defined the community.
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