“They Said They Came to Preach” — How Letters Turned Into Massacre in Kwara

What began as a so-called religious message ended in one of the bloodiest attacks Kwara State has seen in recent years.

Survivors of the deadly assault on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area have revealed a chilling detail: the attackers sent letters ahead of time, claiming they only wanted to preach.

Days later, over 100 people were slaughtered, homes were burned to ashes, and families were wiped out.

According to reports, the letters were delivered to the community’s traditional ruler, Umar Bio Salihu, informing him that a group intended to come and spread religious teachings. Nothing in the message hinted at violence.

But when the attackers finally arrived, preaching quickly turned into terror.

The monarch, who was away when the attack happened, said the gunmen stormed his residence first, abducted his wife and children, and later burned his home. When he returned, he found devastation — two of his children had been killed.

“They wanted us to reject the Nigerian government and submit to their ideology,” he said, stressing that their message had nothing to do with true Islamic teachings or the Quran.

Another resident, Abdulla Umar Usman, described the scene as overwhelming and brutal. He said the attackers came in large numbers, moving from house to house.

“They killed two children of a community leader — both medical students — right in front of their home before setting it on fire,” he recounted.

The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has since described the attackers as Islamic extremists, while Amnesty International disclosed that the group had been quietly distributing religious leaflets in the area for at least five months before the massacre.

What many now fear is that the warning signs were there — but disguised as faith.

In Woro, the lesson is painfully clear:
Not every message that comes in the name of preaching is harmless.