At least 75 residents were killed and dozens of homes destroyed on Tuesday evening when suspected terrorists attacked Nuku and Woro communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The assault reportedly began around 6pm, according to the Kwara State Police Command. Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the police spokesperson, confirmed that security forces have been deployed to the affected areas, although the exact number of casualties is still being verified amid reports of missing persons.
However, Rauf Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said that no fewer than 75 people were confirmed dead.
He said the victims were moderate Muslims who were killed for “refusing to surrender to extremists preaching a strange doctrine.”
Governor AbdulRazaq arrived in Kaiama on Wednesday night, accompanied by service chiefs and members of the state executive council, to commiserate with grieving families and assess the scale of destruction.
Tinubu Approves Military Offensive
During the visit, the governor announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion to the troubled area.
The troops will lead a counter-offensive operation codenamed “Operation Savannah Shield”, aimed at flushing out terrorists and restoring calm in the communities.
AbdulRazaq condemned the attack, describing it as a “cowardly assault on innocent civilians,” and warned that the state would not become a safe haven for extremists.
He added that the violence appeared to be an attempt to divert security attention from ongoing counterterrorism operations in other parts of the state.
Growing Security Threat
The attack comes amid renewed security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, following Washington’s confirmation that a “small team” of US troops has been deployed to Nigeria.
Dagvin Anderson, head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday — the first public acknowledgement of US troops operating in Nigeria since missile strikes were authorised against terrorist targets in Sokoto during the Trump administration.
While bandit groups, historically active in the North-West, have expanded into Kwara and neighbouring Niger State, jihadist factions linked to Boko Haram splinter groups have also intensified attacks, often targeting rural communities, markets and vigilante groups.
