At least 162 people have been executed by jihadists in Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, Western Nigeria.
The horrifying incident happened on Tuesday.
According to residents, the attackers were jihadists, who had previously preached in the community, demanding that villagers renounce allegiance to the Nigerian state in favour of Sharia law. But the terrorists opened fire during a sermon after residents resisted their demands.
The Secretary of the Kwara State chapter of the Red Cross, Babaomo Ayodeji, said the confirmed death toll stood at 162 as of Wednesday afternoon. But a local politician told Reuters that the figure could be as high as 170.
Sa’idu Ahmed, a politician from the Kaiama, told Reuters that the attackers rounded up villagers, tied their hands behind their backs and executed them. He added that homes and shops were also set ablaze during the assault.
“I am in the village along with military personnel, sorting dead bodies and searching nearby areas,” Ahmed said.
He added that many villagers fled into surrounding bushes with gunshot wounds, while several residents, including the village’s traditional ruler, were still missing as of Wednesday.
Among those killed was Salihu Bio Khalid, a student of the Kwara State College of Nursing Sciences, KWASCONS. He was a midwifery student and former President of the Student Union Government, SUG.
His brother was also killed.
Confirming the massacre, the Kwara State Government, in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq mourned the victims, describing the assault as a cowardly act and a sign of frustration by terrorist cells following sustained counterterrorism operations in the state.
One of the survivors and village head of Woro, Umar Tanko, said he was away when the attackers struck but lost members of his family in the violence.
“I was away at my shop where I sell goods when an army of bandits arrived at my residence on Tuesday evening. My daughter and two sons were shot dead, while my second wife and two others were abducted,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed immediate deployment of troops to the state in what has been condemned as reactionary
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