The people of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State, performed the funeral rites on Wednesday for the corpses of those killed by bandits on Tuesday evening.
It was gathered that the two children of the village head of the community were among those killed by the bandits.
A source said, “One of the village head’s children who was killed just graduated from the School of Nursing in 2025.”
According to the source, after killing the two middle-aged children, the bandits also demanded the wife and the remaining children, then marched them away into the bush.
Before leaving the village head’s palace, the assailants demanded the keys to the traditional ruler’s vehicles, destroyed some of them, and used the only remaining one to kidnap the wife and her children.
Meanwhile, a reliable source in the community said the janazah was performed on the deceased at about 6:30pm, shortly before the evening (magrib) prayer.
The lawmaker representing Gwanabe/Gwaria constituency of Kaiama LGA, Hon. Saidu Baba Ahmed, who witnessed the funeral prayer, confirmed the development, saying the 78 corpses comprised 75 males and three females. They were buried on Wednesday.
According to him, the deceased were given mass burial in batches of 10, 15 and 20.
He further disclosed that 35 residents were abducted and whisked away into the bush by the armed bandits.
He said, “We have recovered 78 corpses – 75 males, three females. We performed janazah (funeral prayer) on the corpses around 6:30 pm.
“We have commenced burying the corpses in batches. Some were put together in groups of 10, 15, and 20 and given a mass burial.
“The information at my disposal indicated that the casualties are about 170. So, our people are still in the bush searching for more bodies.
“35 women were abducted, while survivors were also taking refuge in the bush,” he stated.
Another person told our reporter on the phone that the assailants, before leaving Woro, went into the town to burn shops and houses, thereby rendering the community a shadow of its former self.
Recall that The Guardian Newspaper reported that the armed bandits had, around 6 pm on Tuesday, launched a deadly attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama LGA, killing about 170 persons and burning houses.
