More than 80 per cent of residents displaced by the February 3 terrorists in Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have returned home, the village head, Alhaji Umar Bio Salihu, has said.
Salihu, however, said he was yet to relocate to the village because his palace, which was destroyed during the attack, has not been rebuilt.
Speaking with The Nation in Kaiama, the local government headquarters, the traditional ruler attributed the gradual return of residents to improved security and interventions by the Kwara State Government.
“Immediately after the attack, people fled the community. They ran for their lives. I was also advised to relocate because I was one of the major targets of the attackers. Fortunately, I have a house in Kaiama, and that is where I have remained since then,” he said.
“My palace, together with about six houses and 49 shops, was burnt down. Since I have no accommodation in the village, I only visit occasionally until the palace is rebuilt,” he added.
Salihu commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the prompt response to the crisis, saying that the governor approved funds for the reconstruction of his palace, a sum he said he had received.
“My palace will soon be rebuilt. The government has released funds to begin the project. I hope to commence the construction immediately after the Sallah celebrations. Within the next three or four weeks, I should be able to return permanently to the community,” he said.
The traditional ruler said the governor also constituted a seven-member committee to coordinate relief efforts and included him in the panel to ensure effective representation of the affected community.
He recalled that the governor intervened swiftly after the attack by providing relief materials, and ordering the fumigation of the village and providing new boreholes after existing water sources were destroyed.
“Immediately after the incident, the governor came to our aid. He ordered the fumigation of the entire village and provided new boreholes because all sources of potable water had been destroyed by the terrorists,” he said.
Describing the brutality of the attack, Salihu said some victims were locked inside a room, doused with petrol and burnt alive.
“The terrorists locked some residents inside a room, poured petrol on them and set it ablaze, burning them to ashes. Some of the victims were so badly burnt that there were virtually no remains to bury. The resulting stench spread across the village, prompting the government to carry out fumigation in the community,” he said.
He noted that enhanced security measures have helped restore confidence among residents.
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