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By Goli Innocent
Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State has blamed Islamic extremists for the gruesome attack that left scores of residents dead in Kaiama Local Government Area.
At least 75 people were killed when armed attackers stormed Nuku and Woro communities on Tuesday evening, setting homes ablaze and unleashing terror on defenceless villagers.
Police authorities confirmed that the assault began around 6 pm, catching residents unprepared.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Rauf Ajakaye, the governor said the victims were moderate Muslims who were murdered for refusing to submit to extremist teachings that contradicted their long-held religious beliefs.
According to him, the attackers demanded that the communities abandon their traditional Islamic practices and accept what he described as a “strange and perverted doctrine.”
‘They refused to change how they worship’
Addressing religious leaders and security chiefs at the Kwara State Government House, Abdulrazaq said the massacre was not about ransom or criminal profiteering, but a deliberate act of religious extremism.
“From the information available to us, this community refused to surrender to a distorted version of Islamic doctrine,” the governor said.
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“They were loyal to their emirate and practised Islam the way they had always known it. They rejected attempts to alter how they pray to Allah, and for that reason, they were attacked and brutally massacred.”
He stressed that the incident marked a dangerous shift from the usual pattern of kidnappings for ransom in the region.
“This was not about money. This was a pure massacre, and it must be condemned by all,” he added.
Tinubu orders deployment of troops
In response to the killings, President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama LGA to restore peace and prevent further attacks.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the new military formation would lead “Operation Savannah Shield”, aimed at crushing terrorist elements and safeguarding vulnerable communities.
The president condemned the assault in strong terms, describing it as “cowardly and beastly.”
According to Onanuga, Tinubu said the attackers were “heartless for deliberately targeting soft civilian communities in their failed campaign of terror.”
Security operations are ongoing as residents flee affected areas amid fears of fresh attacks.
