Kwara attack survivors in Nigeria: ‘They sent a letter asking to preach. Then they massacred us’

He described how over many hours no-one went to the villagers’ aid – and the militants were able to “take their time”.

“In fact, they even went to the mosque and prayed there. They forced a few people to go and listen to their preaching. That means they had enough time… adequate time to do whatever they liked,” Sanusi added.

The security forces did arrive the next day to find large parts of Woro and Nuku, which fall under the administrative area of Kaiama, in ruins.

Shops and homes had been burnt, abandoned motorcycles lined the streets and smoke still hung in the air.

The once-busy market stalls stood empty, as families gathered to comfort one another.

Then began the grim task of burying the bodies – first recovering them from the bushes.

Dauda, the local official, said he accompanied soldiers and helped bury dozens of victims.

“I was among those who buried 30 corpses,” he said. “We have never experienced this before in Kaiama local government area.”

Residents say the men assigned to dig graves for mass burials worked throughout the day until they became exhausted and were unable to continue.

It has left mourners in Woro and Nuku physically and emotionally broken.

Even now the dusty red-sand roads around the town remain deserted.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who visited the area on Wednesday night, said President Bola Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion to respond to the attack.

Usman suspects the attackers emerged from the forested areas near the Kainji Lake National Park, where the militants are known to operate.

He said the military had carried out operations in nearby forests months to target armed groups.

Communities in Kwara are also vulnerable to raids by criminal gangs – known locally as “bandits” – who loot and kidnap for ransom and have moved into the religiously diverse state fairly recently.

This has led most settlements in rural areas to set up vigilante groups – small bands of armed men who protect their villages.

In fact, according to the MP, the militants had tried to attack the villages last year but had been fought off by the vigilantes.

What leaves the residents of Woro and Nuku in such distress this time is that the jihadists knew exactly where the vigilantes lived – and picked them off not long after dealing with the house of the traditional leader.

“They knew where they were and they went straight to attack them,” Salihu said.

“They burnt them into ashes… about eight of them.”