The Kwara State Police Command has acknowledged that its officers were overwhelmed during a devastating terrorist attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, which claimed over 100 lives.
Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, made the admission while speaking on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief’ programme on Friday.
Residents of the attacked community had accused security agencies, including the police, of failing to respond promptly, alleging no assistance arrived until more than 10 hours after the assault began.
Ejire-Adeyemi explained the delayed response, stating, “Well, as of that moment, I just believe that probably they were overwhelmed. We also have this collaboration with the local vigilantes in that community, and most importantly, the National Forest guards are also present in that community.
“We just say they were overwhelmed, and before they could get back because of the distance from the community to the Divisional Police Headquarters, which is located in Kayama, I don’t know how long that took, but it is quite a distance, but definitely they got reinforcement,” she said.
The attack, carried out by terrorists described in various reports as bandits or suspected religious extremists, involved sporadic gunfire on residents, resulting in numerous deaths and the burning of houses and shops.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for improved security measures in vulnerable rural areas of the state.
