About ten people were feared killed on Tuesday evening when bandits invaded the Woro community in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. The attack, according to locals, commenced around 6:00 pm when gunmen, said to be numbering about 200, stormed the village shooting sporadically.

According to one of the residents, Mr Ahmed Yinusa, "The bandits operated for over one hour before the military were mobilised to the place." He however said "but the distance from the Kaiama to the village is over 50 kilometers and the road condition is very deplorable which made it difficult for the military to get there on time."

Speaking further on the casualties and destruction, Mr Yinusa told Daily Trust on Tuesday night: "The terrorists were about 200 and they killed several people in the process. But unconfirmed reports reaching us is that about 10 people have been killed with several houses set ablaze."

Another resident of Kaiama, Mallam Idris Mohammed, reported that about six corpses were presently lying at the Palace of the Emir of Woro, Alhaji Saliu Bio Umar. He added that the bandits further set the palace ablaze. It was not clear at the time of filing this report whether the Emir was present during the attack.

The lawmaker representing Kaiama at the State House of Assembly, Hon Halidu Danbaba, confirmed the incident in a telephone chat on Tuesday night. He appealed to the Kwara and Federal Governments to extend the recent military action in Kwara South and other parts of the north to Kaiama, especially given the recent go-ahead for the resumption of schools in those areas.

In a statement released late Tuesday, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the attack and mourned the victims. The statement noted that the governor was saddened by the "cowardly attack on civilians in Woro and Nuku communities of Kaiama Local Government Area".

According to the Governor, "this is a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following the ongoing counterterrorism campaigns in parts of the state and the successes so far recorded." He added that "The attack was apparently to distract the security forces who have successfully hunted down several terrorist and kidnapping gangs across many parts of the state".

The statement, issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, added that the Governor expressed his "heartfelt condolences to the affected communities especially the families affected".