Kwara Massacre: Attackers Speak Benin Republic Language, Kill Men, Spare Women

Kwara Massacre: Attackers Speak Benin Republic Language, Kill Men, Spare Women

Residents of Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State have provided chilling accounts of a deadly massacre, revealing that the assailants spoke a language associated with the Benin Republic, systematically hunted and executed men, and spared women during the attacks.

According to witnesses, the militants moved from house to house, demanding to know the whereabouts of male residents before killing them in front of their families, while women were largely left unharmed. Survivors report that the violence lasted several hours, leaving over 100 people dead, homes and shops burned, and several villagers displaced.

Muhammed Aliyu, a local resident who spoke to News Central, described the grim reality of the aftermath:

“We have buried 78 people already, and I also participated in the burial ceremony. There are still some that we were yet to bury because people already fled their homes. Those burying people are already tired. We are still recovering some corpses as I am speaking. And they took the Emir’s wife and kids into the bush.”

He further revealed that many victims were denied proper burial due to fear and physical exhaustion:

“We have buried 78, but we still have many yet to be buried because people are tired. This is the first of its kind and it is really terrible. In the whole of Nigeria, this is the most terrible terror attack.”

Survivors also reported that the attackers communicated in a language believed to be from the Benin Republic, raising concerns about cross-border involvement.

“Some of the survivors that I helped to the main town said some of these terrorists were speaking a local language from Benin Republic,” Aliyu said.

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Eyewitnesses explained that the attackers specifically targeted men, asking for their husbands before killing them in front of their wives. Women, children, and elderly were mostly spared, though many were left traumatized and displaced.

Residents criticised what they described as the government’s insufficient response to growing insecurity:

“This issue of insecurity is now becoming bigger than how the government is handling it. The government is trying but it is not enough. We need them to do more.”

Community members revealed that prior to the attack, youths repeatedly warned traditional rulers, local government authorities, and the state government about armed men camping in nearby forests. Despite assurances that security would be deployed, no immediate action was taken.

“Before these attacks happened, our youths went to the traditional ruler many times to report that strange people were gathering inside the forest close to our villages. They did not only stop there. They also informed the local government council and the state government. Everybody knew, but nobody came to protect us.”

Some residents reported that suspicious movements in the forests had been ongoing since July and August of last year, heightening fears of an impending attack.

The coordinated assault resulted in the deaths of at least 75 local Muslims, according to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who visited Kaiama with top service chiefs to commiserate with the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Omar Mu’azu (Bagidi Kiyaru IV), and affected residents. The governor stated that the victims were targeted for rejecting a radical ideology promoted by the attackers.

“Tonight, I arrived in Kaiama in company of service chiefs and cabinet members to commiserate with His Royal Highness Alhaji Omar Mu’azu (Bagidi Kiyaru IV), the Emir of Kaiama, and the entire community on the cowardly attack launched on our compatriots in Woro and Nuku yesterday,” AbdulRazaq said.

Despite the governor’s visit, residents insist the massacre could have been prevented had authorities acted on credible intelligence and early warnings. The attacks have renewed calls for urgent and robust security measures across Kwara State and other vulnerable regions in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

Kwara Massacre: Attackers Speak Benin Republic Language, Kill Men, Spare Women