•Ashiru canvasses shared prosperity to secure border communities
•Niger Christian, Muslim communities demand action against killings

Reports from the Koro community in the Ekiti Local Council of Kwara State indicate that the area is currently under attack by bandits.

At least one person was confirmed dead, although the full scale of casualties remains unclear at press time.

Koro shares a boundary with Egbe in the Yagba West council area of Kogi State, heightening concerns among residents of neighbouring communities.

Local authorities and residents have been advised to avoid the area and remain vigilant as the situation continues to unfold.

On February 3–4, 2026, terrorists attacked the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The attackers, believed to be linked to Boko Haram factions, carried out mass shootings, arson, and kidnappings.

Reports indicate that no fewer than 162 people were killed, with over 50 injured and 38 kidnapped. Entire homes and community structures were burned.

But the Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Lola Ashiru, yesterday urged government at all levels to strengthen border security by promoting shared prosperity.

Ashiru, representing Kwara South, made the call during a courtesy visit by members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council.

According to him, effective management of border communities would significantly reduce criminal activity and ensure communal development.

He also noted that properly secured and economically empowered border areas would serve as a strong deterrent to crime.

He advised that special attention must be given to border and peripheral settlements, describing them as the first line of defence against external threats.

Besides, the Borgu Emirate, in collaboration with the Christian and Muslim communities across Borgu/Agwara local councils of Niger State, have urged the federal and state governments to urgently address the incessant attacks, killings and abduction of innocent citizens by terrorists.

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, while addressing journalists at a press conference at the weekend in Suleja, appealed for the establishment of a fully equipped military base in Agwara Local Government Area, fortifying police stations, and ensuring the deployment of well-manned security checkpoints without delay.

He also called for adequate security personnel, necessary logistics, and collaboration with local stakeholders to restore lasting peace, while urging the National Assembly and key federal representatives to intervene swiftly.

In their separate remarks, the representative of the Borgu Emirate Council, Prince Murtala Dantoro, and a representative of the Muslim community of the Borgu Emirate, Muhammad Ibrahim Sani, highlighted the devastating impact of banditry on communities.

They enjoined government and security agencies to act swiftly to end the incessant attacks, which have displaced residents and disrupted their means of livelihood.

Also, a former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Hashim, has described the Woro invasion as a chilling illustration of the deepening collapse of rural security in Nigeria, warning that the country is sliding into a dangerous phase where mass killings occur without a timely or effective state response.

In a statement issued at the weekend, Hashim said the scale and brazenness of the attack demand more than ritual expressions of sympathy, calling for urgent accountability from security authorities and a transparent explanation of the failures that preceded and followed the incident.

Describing the killings as unprecedented in scale and brutality, he said: “I offer my condolences to the people of Woro, but condolence is not enough this time around. Nigerians deserve answers.”

Hashim urged the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to initiate an international probe into the attack, insisting that the public must be told why intelligence reports allegedly warning of an impending assault were ignored.