Terrorists have turned Woro community in Kwara State into a ghost town, with terrified residents abandoning their homes and fleeing to safety.
The once-bustling village in Kaiama Local Government Area now stands eerily silent.
Empty huts line dusty paths, doors hang open, and belongings lie scattered where residents left them in panic.
A video circulating online captures the haunting scene: deserted streets where children once played and markets once buzzed with life.
It all began on the evening of 3 February when hundreds of terrorists stormed Woro and the nearby village of Nuku.
They opened fire indiscriminately, rampaging through homes and setting buildings ablaze.
At least 162 people died in the brutal assault, which lasted nearly ten hours.
Survivors later described how the attackers called people to prayer at the local mosque as a cruel trap before gunning them down.
As the gunfire echoed across the fields, residents grabbed what they could and ran into the surrounding bush.
Many spent the night hiding in thick forest, only to emerge the next morning to find their community in ruins.
Dozens of homes lay destroyed.
The village head and other prominent residents joined the exodus, with some crossing into neighbouring Niger State.
Even now, nearly two months later, the fear has not lifted.
Reports of escalating attacks in the area have kept most survivors away.
Some have sought refuge with relatives in Kaiama town or further afield, while others remain too traumatised to return.
Local leaders say the terrorists, who operate from forests near the Benin border, continue to threaten fresh violence.
One resident who escaped to Niger State told journalists he left with nothing but the clothes on his back.
“We heard the shots and just ran,” he said.
“No one is going back until the terrorists are gone.”
The Emir of Kaiama confirmed the scale of the desertion, describing Woro as completely abandoned.
Security forces eventually arrived, but many villagers say it was too late to prevent the carnage.
This tragedy highlights the growing insecurity across parts of Kwara, where terrorist groups have repeatedly struck rural communities.
As families rebuild their lives elsewhere, the empty homes of Woro serve as a stark reminder of the violence that drove them out.
Authorities have promised increased patrols, but for now the village remains a silent witness to the terror that swept through it.
