Kaiama town in Kwara State was thrown into panic on Thursday evening following reports that suspected terrorists entered the popular Kara cattle market, triggering a stampede among traders and residents.
The incident occurred barely 48 hours after a deadly attack in the community that reportedly claimed the lives of no fewer than 162 people, further heightening fear in the area.
Multiple sources in Kaiama told SaharaReporters that the Kara market, usually a centre of intense commercial and social activities, was crowded when strangers believed to be armed suddenly appeared.
The development sparked widespread alarm, forcing traders and buyers to flee in different directions.
One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the situation escalated rapidly.
āThat market was filled to the brim. People were doing their normal business when some unknown faces entered Kara. People said they were armed. I personally did not see them because I was at the foodstuff section when the news spread. Suddenly, people started running for their lives,ā the source said.
He added, āEven me, I had to abandon the foodstuffs I bought for my business because the situation was very intense. There was panic everywhere and a huge stampede.ā
The resident expressed frustration over what he described as inadequate security response, despite the reported deployment of soldiers to the town.
āIt is true that the government brought some soldiers, but what have they done? They are only moving around the streets with their vans. There is no serious security up till now. A lot of unknown faces entered Kaiama on Thursday because of the market, and these soldiers could not even stop them,ā he said.
Videos obtained by SaharaReporters and circulating on social media showed scenes of tension and confusion following the scare.
In one video posted by a TikTok user identified as Abiola, the clip was captioned, āNow in Kaiama, bandits are now our president because we are fearing them like they are our God because of death. In the market again today, we are hearing that they entered and everyone ran away.ā
Another video from the same user read, āSee how Kara market in Kaiama, Kwara State, scattered today because of bandits. We did not even see them, but we all ran away. May God save us.ā
Residents said the latest panic followed repeated warnings to authorities before the recent killings.
According to them, local youths and community leaders had alerted traditional rulers, local government officials and the Kwara State Government about suspicious movements of armed men in forests around Kaiama, but no decisive action was taken.
āThere were warnings from the youth. They saw unfamiliar armed men camping in the bushes near our communities. They reported to the local government and traditional leaders, but nobody acted. Now the whole town is living in fear,ā another resident said.
Despite the presence of soldiers in Kaiama, traders at the Kara market questioned the effectiveness of the deployment, describing it as largely symbolic.
They said soldiers only patrol major streets in vans, leaving markets and other crowded places vulnerable.
Efforts to get official reactions to Thursdayās incident were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Messages sent to the Nigerian Army spokesperson, Anele Onyinyechi Appolonia, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, were not returned.
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Barely 48 Hours After D3adly Attack, Suspected Terrorists Storm Popular Kwara Market (video)
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