Woro Massacre: How Sadiku’s Terror Network Turned Kainji Forest Into a Killing Ground

According to report by Punch newspaper on Saturday February 7, 2026, the deadly attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, where about 176 residents were killed, has been linked to a calculated expansion of jihadist activities led by Abubakar Saidu, also known as Sadiku. Investigations show the massacre was not random but followed weeks of planning, despite prior warnings sent to security agencies.

Sadiku, a former lieutenant of late Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, relocated from the North-East to forest corridors in Niger and Kwara states after sustained military pressure. Over the years, he evolved into a dominant terror figure in the North-Central region, operating from the Kainji Forest Reserve, now described by experts as a new insurgent hub.

On the day of the attack, gunmen arrived on motorcycles, surrounded Woro, and carried out coordinated killings that lasted several hours. Survivors said homes were burnt, residents executed, and women and children abducted. Security forces reportedly arrived hours after distress calls, as explosives planted on access roads delayed intervention.

The Kwara State Government has set up a committee to provide relief, while over 50 survivors are receiving treatment in Ilorin.

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