At least 30 indigenes of Plateau State have been confirmed killed and more than 500 displaced after a brutal attack on Woro, a farming community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The victims, mostly natives of Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau, had travelled to Kwara for farming and commercial activities when armed men invaded the settlement, shooting residents at close range, burning homes and shops, and abducting several others.
Deputy Chairman of Riyom LGA, Gwong Gwya Song, said the community is reeling from the scale of the tragedy. He disclosed that 30 Plateau indigenes lost their lives in the attack, while hundreds of survivors have been forced to flee.
According to him, 707 people were initially displaced, with about 200 managing to return home. Many of the returnees are now sheltering with relatives in Plateau State, as no formal internally displaced persons camps have been set up for them.
Song explained that the local council has provided some support, including funds to help transport survivors back home, but described the situation as deeply painful for the Ganawuri community. He said the council is planning a special day of remembrance in honour of those killed.
“We have about 30 of them that lost their lives, and as a community, it is very painful to us. We are organising the special day in their honour and remembrance,” he said.
He added that four members of the community were injured and are receiving treatment in Kwara, while about 10 others remain in captivity.
A community member, Timothy Lazarus, appealed for urgent intervention from both federal and state authorities. He called for shelter, food, medical support and stronger security measures to protect rural communities from recurring attacks by armed groups.
Lazarus stressed that many of the displaced have nowhere to return to, as their homes and means of livelihood were destroyed during the assault.
When contacted, the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, Sunday Abdu, said he had not yet received an official report on the incident but promised to investigate the situation.
