Survivors of the deadly terrorist assault in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have accused the state government of ignoring repeated security warnings months before the attack that reportedly claimed over 170 lives.
Residents who spoke with SaharaReporters on Thursday said youths and community leaders had raised alarms several times after noticing unfamiliar armed men camping in surrounding forests and bushes near their villages.
According to the residents, these suspicious individuals were first noticed months before the massacre, and reports were allegedly made to traditional rulers, local government officials, and the state government. However, they claimed no meaningful security action was taken.
One resident said community youths repeatedly visited the traditional ruler to report strange movements in the forest, adding that the concerns were also forwarded to government authorities.
“They didn’t stop at the palace. They also informed the local government and state government. Everyone knew, but nobody came to protect us,” the resident said.
Another survivor confirmed that the reports were escalated to government officials, with residents appealing for the deployment of security forces to clear the forests.
“We begged them to deploy security operatives, but they kept assuring us that something would be done. Nothing happened,” the source stated.
Residents further revealed that by July or August 2025, the situation became more alarming as suspicious movements increased around the forests, prompting renewed appeals for urgent intervention.
One of the residents claimed that the governor had once promised that soldiers would be deployed to the area, but no military personnel ever arrived.
“He told our leaders that soldiers would be sent, but none came. We were abandoned,” the resident said.
The survivors explained that the attackers later launched a coordinated assault on multiple villages, killing men, women and children, burning homes, and forcing many residents to flee for safety.
According to them, the attack lasted for hours without immediate response from security agencies, leaving residents helpless.
“They came in large numbers with guns, shouting and shooting. People ran in all directions,” a survivor recounted.
“Our houses were burned, and families were wiped out. We are still counting the dead.”
Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed on Wednesday that at least 75 people were killed during the attack. He said the victims were Muslims who were massacred after rejecting extremists attempting to impose what he described as a strange doctrine.
The governor disclosed this after visiting Kaiama with service chiefs and members of his cabinet. He said he also visited the affected communities of Woro and Nuku to assess the damage and sympathise with the people.
However, residents insisted the death toll was far higher than what the government announced, claiming that more than 100 people were killed.
One resident accused the government of reacting only after the tragedy had already occurred.
“The government failed us. They came after people died and claimed only 75 were killed. Anyone who believes it is not up to 100 should come here and count the bodies,” the resident said.
Survivors maintained that the massacre could have been prevented if authorities had acted on the early warnings and deployed security forces to the area before the terrorists carried out the attack.
