Kwara attack: Egbetokun deploys tactical formation for manhunt
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical, operational, and intelligence assets to Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State following a deadly attack that claimed at least 75 lives.
The Nigeria Police Force, in a statement signed on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, condemned the violent attack that occurred on Tuesday, describing it as “tragic and deeply disturbing.”
According to the statement, the IGP extended his “heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of Kwara State,” assuring Nigerians that the Force remains resolute in its duty to protect lives and property.
“In response to this incident, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical, operational, and intelligence assets to Kaiama and surrounding communities,” the statement said.
The Force stated that the move is aimed at restoring calm, strengthening security presence and preventing further violence.
The police also confirmed that an intensive manhunt has been launched for the perpetrators and their accomplices, stressing that investigations are ongoing and all available resources have been mobilised to ensure those responsible are identified, arrested and brought to justice.
“The perpetrators will not escape the long arm of the law,” the statement added.
The Force urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information through the nearest police stations.
Reports from the affected area indicate that gunmen attacked Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities late on Tuesday, killing over 160 people, burning shops and the residence of a traditional ruler, and forcing many residents to flee into surrounding bushes.
Reacting to the killings, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu condemned the attack, describing it as a grim reminder of Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
Similarly, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) condemned the killings in parts of Kwara, Katsina and Benue states, describing them as “barbaric, senseless, and a direct assault on the collective conscience of the nation.”
In response to the attack, President Bola Tinubu ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State to reinforce security in the area.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the deployment was aimed at “checkmating the barbaric terrorists and protecting defenceless communities.”
Onanuga disclosed that the new military formation would lead Operation Savannah Shield, adding that President Tinubu condemned the attackers as “heartless for choosing soft targets in their doomed campaign of terror.”
The President also decried residents being targeted for rejecting the attackers’ ideology and condoled with the families of the victims.
Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, who visited the affected communities and the palace of the Emir of Kaiama, Muazu Omar, on Wednesday night, described the incident as a “pure massacre.”
AbdulRazaq disclosed that at least 75 victims had been buried, stating that the attackers targeted residents for resisting what he described as a “perverted” terrorist doctrine.
