President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State in response to a deadly terrorist attack that claimed the lives of scores of villagers and led to widespread destruction of property.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the deployment is aimed at “checking the activities of barbaric terrorists and protecting defenceless communities.” He added that the new military formation will lead Operation Savannah Shield in the affected areas.
Condemning the attack, President Tinubu described the assailants as heartless for targeting vulnerable communities in what he called a failed campaign of terror. He expressed outrage over reports that the villagers were killed for refusing to be indoctrinated by the attackers.
“It is commendable that the community members, even as Muslims, rejected an ideology that promotes violence instead of peace and dialogue,” the president said while commiserating with families of the victims.
He further called for stronger collaboration between federal and state agencies to provide relief to the affected communities and ensure that those responsible for the atrocities are brought to justice.
The attack, which occurred late Tuesday in Woro Village, reportedly left more than 160 people dead. Gunmen burned shops and the residence of a traditional ruler, while several injured residents fled into nearby bushes. Two vehicles belonging to the village head were allegedly used by the attackers to transport abducted villagers.
Reports indicate that the violence was triggered by the villagers’ refusal to submit to indoctrination by an extremist group identified as Mahmuda, leading to indiscriminate shootings.
The incident followed recent military operations in the area against what authorities described as terrorist elements. Last month, the military announced it had launched sustained and coordinated offensives in Kwara State, during which remote terrorist camps and logistics facilities were destroyed.
In response to the worsening security situation, the Kwara State Government imposed curfews in affected areas and temporarily shut schools before directing their reopening earlier this week.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who has since visited the community, described the attack as genocidal and assured residents that the perpetrators operating within the Kwara–Niger axis would be flushed out within one month.
