President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate deployment of an army battalion to parts of Kwara State following a brutal overnight assault by suspected terrorists that left scores of residents dead in rural communities.
The directive came in response to an attack on Nuku and Woro villages in Kaiama Local Government Area, where at least 75 people were killed when gunmen raided the settlements on Tuesday evening, burning homes and targeting civilians.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, said President Tinubu had mobilised the military to lead a new operation, code‑named Operation Savannah Shield, aimed at checking further violence and protecting vulnerable communities.
Tinubu condemned the assault as a “cowardly and beastly attack”, describing the perpetrators as heartless for targeting unarmed residents in a campaign of terror. According to the statement, the president expressed particular outrage that the victims, who were practising Muslims, were killed after refusing to adopt extremist teachings.
“It is commendable that the community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a belief system that promotes violence over dialogue,” the president said, highlighting the residents’ resistance to violent indoctrination.
Tinubu also urged federal and state agencies to work together to deliver relief to those affected and to ensure that the attackers are brought to justice. He offered condolences to the families of the deceased, as well as to the people and government of Kwara State, and prayed for the repose of the victims’ souls.
The deployment underscores the federal government’s effort to strengthen security in Nigeria’s north‑central region, where militant activity linked to groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic
State‑affiliated factions has increasingly spilled beyond traditional strongholds in the northeast.
