Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has revealed that at least 75 residents were killed in a brutal attack on two villages for resisting extremists who sought to impose a “strange doctrine” on the area.
The governor, speaking during a visit to Kaiama Local Government Area, accompanied by security chiefs and cabinet members on Wednesday, described the massacre as a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells.
The attacks reportedly targeted the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kaiama LGA on Tuesday evening, where gunmen allegedly rounded up residents, bound their hands, and opened fire indiscriminately.
Confirming the incident, the police spokesperson in the state, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the attack on the communities began at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
Ejire-Adeyemi added that security agencies had since been deployed to the affected areas but noted that the number of casualties remained uncertain, while reports of missing persons are still under investigation.
However, AbdulRazaq said 75 residents were killed by the suspected terrorists during the attack.
A video posted on the Kwara Government X handle on Wednesday shows the governor standing in a traditional palace setting, flanked by military officers and local leaders, as he commiserated with survivors and announced federal support.
In the clip, AbdulRazaq emphasised the victims’ refusal to yield to the extremists’ teachings as the trigger for the violence.
He said, “We commiserate with you over the death of 75 of your subjects. May Allah grant them aljana Firdaus.
“And from the information I’ve been getting, this village refuses to succumb to a perverted form of Islamic doctrine.
“They (terrorists) are lying under their immolation, abiding by their Islamic faith. And these villagers, they don’t want any alteration.
“And because they refuse to change doctrine in their faith, they were attacked and massacred.
“It’s different from what we used to see, where subjects are kidnapped or ransacked. But this was just a pure massacre. And it’s something truly condemned.”
In response, AbdulRazaq announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion under “Operation Savannah Shield” to launch counter-offensives against the perpetrators.
