President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State following a violent assault by suspected terrorists that claimed numerous lives and destroyed homes and businesses.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the move is aimed at “curbing the activities of the terrorists and safeguarding vulnerable communities.” He added that the new formation will lead a special security operation known as Operation Savannah Shield.
Condemning the attack, Tinubu described the assailants as “inhumane” for targeting civilians and communities that rejected extremist ideologies. He commended residents for resisting indoctrination despite their vulnerability.
“It is praiseworthy that the people refused to embrace a violent belief system that promotes conflict rather than peace,” the president said, while expressing condolences to families of the victims.
He also directed closer collaboration between federal and state authorities to provide relief to affected communities and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
More than 160 people were reportedly killed during the late Tuesday attack on Woro village, where shops and the palace of a traditional ruler were set ablaze. Many residents fled into nearby bushes to escape the violence.
Sources said the attackers became enraged after villagers rejected attempts to recruit them into an extremist group known as Mahmuda. Two vehicles belonging to the village head were allegedly used by the gunmen to transport abducted residents.
The assault followed recent military operations in the area targeting terrorist groups. In January, the military announced it had carried out coordinated offensives in remote parts of Kwara, destroying camps and disrupting insurgent logistics.
In response to the deteriorating security situation, the Kwara State Government imposed curfews in affected areas and temporarily shut schools before reopening them earlier this week.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has since visited the community, describing the killings as genocidal and pledging that those responsible, including criminals operating along the Kwara-Niger border, would be eliminated within a month.
