The Department of State Service (DSS) in Kwara State has issued a fresh security alert to the Kwara State Police Command, warning of a possible attack on Gbabe community in Baruten Local Government Area, just days after the deadly assault on Woro community in neighbouring Kaiama LGA that left scores of residents dead and displaced many others. The alert, contained in an official communication to the police authorities, has heightened anxiety across communities in the Kwara North axis where residents are still grappling with the aftermath of the recent violence.
A copy of the letter, dated February 5, 2026, and signed by the State Director of DSS in Kwara, J.S. Adams, was addressed to the Commissioner of Police at the Kwara State Command Headquarters in Ilorin. The correspondence, referenced S.122/1/1897 and titled “Threat of Attack on Gbabe, Baruten LGA,” warned of intelligence indicating suspicious movements of armed men believed to be regrouping around vulnerable settlements within the district.
In the letter, the DSS specifically drew attention to Kiyoru Settlement in Gwanara District, where it said there had been a noticeable build-up of armed men suspected to be Mamuda elements, even as tensions reportedly grew between the villagers and the suspected group. “Report indicates possible threat of attack by armed group, on Gbabe Community, Gwanara District, Baruten Local Government Area (LGA), Kwara State. This stemmed from the build-up of armed men suspected to be Mamuda elements around Kiyoru Settlement, even as the villagers have expressed hostility towards the elements,” the letter read.
The DSS further reminded the police of the long history of violent activities by armed groups operating within and around the Kainji Lake National Park axis, a forested region that has repeatedly featured in security reports as a haven for non-state armed actors. “In view of the antecedents of armed groups around Kainji Lake National Park, there is a need to emplace necessary security measures to forestall any untoward development,” the letter added, urging swift preventive deployment.
The communication concluded with a call for urgency and decisive action from the police command. “Respectfully forwarded for your attention and necessary action, please,” the DSS stated, underscoring the seriousness of the intelligence and the need to avert a repeat of the recent tragedy witnessed in Kaiama.
The alert comes against the backdrop of the deadly attack on Woro community in Kaiama LGA, where armed men reportedly stormed the settlement, killing scores of residents and forcing survivors to flee into surrounding bushes and neighbouring towns. Eyewitnesses from the area indicated that the attackers appeared to operate from forest corridors linking Kaiama and Baruten LGAs and stretching towards the Benin Republic, a route security agencies have consistently described as difficult to monitor and highly vulnerable.
As news of the DSS warning spread, residents of Baruten LGA reportedly expressed deep concern over the possibility of another attack, with local leaders calling for increased security presence in rural settlements. Security deployments had already been reinforced in parts of Kaiama following the Woro incident, and residents now hope similar proactive steps will be taken in Baruten to prevent any escalation.
Amid the growing tension, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq convened an emergency security council meeting with heads of security agencies on Monday night at the Ahmadu Bello House in Ilorin. The governor said the meeting was aimed at reviewing the security situation in the state and strengthening coordinated efforts among security formations to neutralise emerging threats across vulnerable communities.
“As part of our multi-layered response to the recent terrorist attack in Kaiama LGA, I summoned an emergency security council meeting at the Ahmadu Bello House in Ilorin today,” AbdulRazaq said. He noted that he received detailed briefings from all security commanders in the state and that strategies were discussed to secure lives and property across affected areas.
Earlier, Governors Usman Ododo of Kogi State and Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State had accompanied AbdulRazaq to visit victims of the Woro attack receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Ilorin. During the visit, Oyebanji expressed solidarity with the people of Kwara State and commended the response of federal and state security agencies to the crisis.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Kwara State over this unfortunate incident. We also commend the Federal Government and security agencies for the swift response. The victims are stable but remain under close watch in the intensive care unit,” Oyebanji said, providing reassurance about the condition of the injured survivors.
Meanwhile, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), weighed in on the situation, urging governors of the South-West zone, Kwara, Kogi, and other states described as Yoruba-speaking to immediately declare a state of emergency over escalating insecurity. The call was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Chairman of Dr. Frederick Fasehun’s OPC Caretaker Committee, Kazeem Lawal.
Reacting to the killing of over 100 persons in Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama LGA, the OPC described the incident as heartbreaking and provocative, insisting that those responsible must be hunted down. Lawal cautioned governors against politicising the insecurity, urging collaboration instead. “Governors of the 10 Yoruba-speaking states must immediately declare a state of emergency on security to reflect the gravity of the situation. With these rampaging terrorists, bandits and jihadists and their activities, all Nigerians face an existential threat, and all hands must be mobilised to identify, locate and neutralise these evil monsters,” Lawal said.
The group also urged the Federal Government, Kwara State Government, and security agencies to launch a massive manhunt to locate and apprehend those responsible for the killings. “Those who committed this dastardly act are not spirits. All available resources must be mobilised to hunt down, arrest, prosecute and annihilate these killers,” Lawal added, as he emphasised the need for decisive action.
Declaring its readiness to defend what it described as Yoruba land and people, the OPC warned that it would not allow terrorists to overwhelm the South-West as, according to the group, has happened in parts of the North. Lawal criticised security agencies for what he termed a reactive approach and questioned why armed individuals were not being promptly apprehended, while urging authorities to be more proactive in confronting non-state actors troubling the country.
The developments have intensified broader security concerns across Kwara North, with growing pressure on security agencies and government authorities to act swiftly to prevent further attacks, reassure frightened communities, and restore public confidence in the state’s ability to protect lives and property in vulnerable rural areas.