Dr. Gbenga Hashim, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has condemned the recent mass killings in Woro community, Kwara State, warning that rural Nigeria is increasingly vulnerable to attacks without swift or effective state response.
In a statement over the weekend, Hashim described the attack as “unprecedented in scale and unmatched in barbarity,” stressing that condolences alone are insufficient and demanding accountability from security authorities. He urged the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to investigate the incident and provide clarity on why intelligence reportedly warning of the attack was allegedly ignored.
Hashim criticised the Nigerian Air Force for failing to deploy emergency support, noting that Woro is less than a 15-minute flight from the Wawa–New Bussa axis. “The Air Force that could intervene in Benin Republic could not save the Woro people within the same geographical axis,” he stated, highlighting perceived inconsistencies in military responsiveness.
He also questioned why security personnel allegedly deployed to Woro were later withdrawn, calling for transparency on who ordered the withdrawal and why. The PDP aspirant warned that delays in response are emboldening attackers, eroding public trust, and could drive communities toward self-help measures such as vigilante actions or unregulated armed groups.
Hashim called on the Federal Government and security agencies to provide detailed operational accounts, including response timelines and reasons for the absence of aerial support. He advocated reforms for rural security, including rapid-response systems, aerial surveillance, helicopter deployment, and forward operating bases in vulnerable areas.
The Woro killings, he said, are a warning of expanding insecurity in the North Central corridor, particularly along border communities near Niger State and Kainji Lake. Without decisive action, he cautioned, Kwara State could become a new frontline for banditry and rural terrorism, threatening livelihoods, agriculture, and social stability.
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