Exclusive: Sadiku Reveals Terror Mastermind Behind Kwara Massacre

Tuesday’s massacre in Woro, a remote community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, which left an estimated 176 people dead, was far from a random act of violence.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Investigations by Saturday PUNCH reveal that the attack was the culmination of a calculated effort by jihadist elements to expand into Nigeria’s North-Central region—despite prior warnings of potential attacks.

At the heart of the violence is a terrorist commander identified as Abubakar Saidu, widely known as Sadiku, whose influence now spans multiple regions of Nigeria.

From Shekau’s Lieutenant to North-Central Powerbroker

Security sources trace Sadiku’s rise back to 2014, when he was reportedly handpicked by the late Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau to extend the group’s operations beyond the North-East.

Years of military pressure weakened Boko Haram’s strongholds in Borno and neighboring states, forcing splinter factions westward. Investigators say Sadiku embedded himself in forest corridors linking Niger and Kwara states, gradually consolidating control.

By 2026, analysts have described him as the “Shekau of the North-Central” due to his operational independence and ideological rigidity.

A self-described counterterrorism analyst on X, MobilisingNigeria, noted that Sadiku initially partnered with notorious bandit leader Dogo Gide to expand into North-Central Nigeria, and later aligned with the Darul Islam faction before it was dismantled by security forces. Ideological disputes eventually fractured these alliances, pushing Sadiku deeper into forest strongholds.

Kainji Forest: Nigeria’s ‘New Sambisa’

In July 2025, Sadiku reportedly established a strategic base inside the Kainji Forest Reserve, which spans Niger and Kwara states. Security experts have dubbed Kainji the country’s “new Sambisa,” in reference to the forest long used by Boko Haram as an operational hub in the North-East.

A Kwara-based security analyst, who spoke under anonymity, said the move signaled a dangerous westward expansion.

“For over a decade, Boko Haram violence was concentrated in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. Now, splinter groups are exploiting forests, porous borders, and weak security presence to move westward,” the analyst said.

The reserve now reportedly functions as a logistical corridor linking insurgents from the North-East with armed groups in the North-West.

Possible Links to JNIM

Security tracker Brandon Phillips, who monitors West and East Africa, linked Sadiku’s faction to the Woro massacre, noting its proximity—less than four kilometers—to Nuku, where Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate in the Sahel, carried out its first attack in Nigeria in October 2025.

Phillips suggested this closeness indicates possible operational overlap—either through collaboration or a tacit non-aggression pact—between JNIM and Sadiku’s Boko Haram faction. He also noted similarities between the Woro killings and recent attacks in Papiri, Niger State, hinting at a continued push toward Kainji-dominated areas.

Researcher Raheem Mutiu added that JNIM fighters are reportedly spreading through Kaiama, Baruten, and Borgu, consolidating control after the arrest of a local factional leader in August 2025.

Conflict analyst James Barnett noted that the brutality of the Woro attack marked a shift from previous operations, which were largely retaliatory, to indiscriminate mass killings.

The Warning Letter

Reports show that the Woro community had been forewarned. The village head, Salihu Umar, confirmed receiving a letter in Hausa, dated 19 Rajab 1447 (January 8), about three weeks before the massacre.

The letter, signed by “JAS”—an acronym for Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’adati wal-Jihad—stated that the group planned to meet community leaders “secretly” to preach and would not harm residents. Umar said he photocopied the letter, submitted it to the Kaiama Emirate, and sent a soft copy to the Department of State Services in Kaiama.

The Attack

Eyewitnesses reported that assailants arrived around 5 pm on motorcycles, armed with AK-47s and explosives. They blocked escape routes and stormed the Emir’s palace around 6 pm, dragging out family members and setting the building on fire.

Between 6:30 pm and 8 pm, survivors described an “execution phase,” during which residents were rounded up, bound, and killed. A military aircraft reportedly appeared around 8 pm, forcing attackers to retreat temporarily into nearby bushes. Residents cautiously emerged around 9 pm, only to be lured back out under the guise of the call to prayer before killings resumed.

The violence continued until approximately 2 am, after which the attackers withdrew into the forest, abducting women and children.