The heinous Kwara massacre

The recent massacre of over 100 people in Kwara State by bandits has again exposed the nation’s intractable security challenge and the urgent need for the government to protect all Nigerians. The dastardly incident occurred in Woro in Kaiama Local government Area of the state on February 3, 2026. The Kwara massacre is gruesome, condemnable and unacceptable. It is coming at a time the federal government has assured Nigerians of adequate security. The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that 75 persons were killed in the attack.

In the same vein, the leaders of the community stated that 75 people were buried on the same day of the massacre. However, some people in the affected area said the casualty figure could be higher than the official one. Sadly, the Woro community was reportedly warned some weeks before the attack. Yet, nothing was done by the security agents to forestall it. More worrisome is that fact that the victims were killed for rejecting a strange belief.

Consequently, President Bola Tinubu has deployed Operation Savannah Shield to protect the troubled area. Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the deployment of tactical operation and intelligence assets to Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State to scale up the security architecture in the area. The police spokesman also stated that all available resources have been mobilised to ensure that those responsible for the attack are apprehended and brought to justice. He assured Nigerians that the perpetrators of the tragic killings would not escape the long arm of the law.

The United Nations (UN), United States and the government of Turkiye have condemned the heinous killings. Also, northern senators have called for an overhaul of the nation’s security system. They also urged the federal government to recruit more security personnel to curb the rising security challenges in some states of the country. We condemn the fresh killings in Kwara, Katsina and other states and urge the federal government to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous criminality and bring them to justice.

All Nigerians must be protected by the government. After all, the primary function of government is to protect lives and property. The federal government should act fast before the murderous attack spreads to some states in the South-West region, especially Oyo and Osun. Although terrorism and banditry are present challenges across sub-Saharan Africa, the government must ensure that the progression of these attacks is halted. Nigerians should not be pushed to the wall where they would have to resort to self-help or jungle justice. State governors should adopt proactive approach in securing their states. 

However, it is reassuring that President Tinubu has vowed to defeat terrorism in the country. The President who declared open the National Economic Council (NEC) in Abuja assured Nigerians that his administration would defeat terrorism. This is the time to deploy more troops in the troubled zone to ensure that the terrorists are ruthlessly defeated. The government should indeed recruit more military and police personnel to augment the existing ones.

The manpower shortage in the military and the police is quite obvious. Let us stop pretending that we have enough troops. There is urgent need for more kinetic measures in the on-going war against terrorism. We call for more intelligent gathering and sharing among security agencies. Let there be training and retraining of our security agencies. They should be adequately motivated and equipped for the huge tasks ahead.

At the same time, we must deploy relevant technology in the war against the terrorists. We need drones and high-precision weapons to defeat the terrorists. Besides, the federal and state governments should stop dillydallying over the creation of state police. Despite the advantages of having some layers of policing, it is sad that the government is still seemingly comfortable with the centralized policing system with its obvious drawbacks.

Except Nigeria, there is no federation that feels comfortable operating a centralised policing system. The United States and Canada operate several layers of policing. Even the United Kingdom has several layers of policing. Nigeria cannot continue with its present policing system. Doing so will worsen our security challenges.

Not quite long ago, about 177 worshippers were abducted from Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Although, they have regained their freedom, many others have been abducted in some other states such as Niger, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states. These areas had reportedly witnessed the abduction of 253 people and the killing of 271 people in the past four weeks. We call for an end to these attacks and mindless killings of Nigerians by terrorists.