About 170 casualties have been recorded in a recent attack by armed bandits on Woro and Nuku communities in the Kaiama Local Government Area on Tuesday, according to lawmaker Saidu Ahmed on Wednesday.

Mr Ahmed, who confirmed the number in a phone call with Reuters, said several dead bodies were being sorted following the dastardly incident.

“As I am speaking to you now, I am in the village along with military personnel, sorting dead bodies and combing the surrounding areas for more,” Mr Ahmed stated.

The lawmaker further described the attack as the deadliest in recent times, adding several people were still missing as of Wednesday morning.

Cntacted for comments, police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said police and military had been mobilised to the area for a search-and-rescue operation.

Ms Ejire-Adeyemi said, “The information available to the command is that efforts are ongoing to ascertain the number of casualties at the moment.

“We saw that houses were destroyed and many residents were shot. But things have been relatively calm as the command is closely monitoring the situation.”

The attackers reportedly stormed the communities at about 6:00 p.m., shooting and setting several houses ablaze.

Reacting to the violent attacks in a statement on Tuesday, the Kwara State government expressed sorrow over the killings.

“The governor condemns the attack, which he says is a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following the ongoing counter-terrorism campaigns in parts of the state and the successes so far recorded,” a statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said.