Shettima visits Kwara after Woro massacre

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, as grief and shock continue to grip the Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, where more than 100 residents were killed in a brutal attack last week.

In Woro, fresh graves line the community as families struggle to comprehend the scale of the tragedy. Survivors recount a night of terror as gunmen stormed the village, setting homes ablaze and shooting indiscriminately, leaving bodies scattered across the settlement.

Mr. Shettima landed at the Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, where he was received by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the senator representing Kwara North, Sadiq Umar, and other senior government officials.

His visit comes amid growing anguish among residents, many of whom are still searching for missing relatives, including women and girls reportedly abducted during the attack. Scores of others sustained gunshot wounds and injuries and were rushed to hospitals in Ilorin and neighbouring towns. Medical sources confirmed that while some victims have been discharged, others remain hospitalised.

The Vice President is expected to meet traditional rulers, community leaders, local government officials, and security chiefs to assess the humanitarian and security situation and review ongoing operations in the area. He will also engage the village head of Woro and the Emir of Kaiama as the community seeks reassurance and protection.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier ordered the immediate deployment of a battalion of soldiers to Woro to stabilise the area and prevent further attacks. Security agencies have since intensified patrols, though many displaced residents remain hesitant to return home, fearing renewed violence.

Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists carried out the coordinated assault, torching houses and killing scores of residents in what has been described as one of the deadliest attacks in Kwara State’s recent history.

As the state mourns, condolences and condemnations have continued to pour in from political leaders, civil society organisations, and the international community.

Yet for survivors in Woro, the pain is deeply personal, measured not in statements or deployments, but in empty homes, mass burials, and unanswered questions about when it will be safe to rebuild their lives.