Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has said that Islamic extremists were responsible for the recent deadly attacks on communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state.
At least 75 residents were killed, while several houses were razed when armed assailants attacked Nuku and Woro communities earlier this week.
Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Police Command said the attack began at about 6:00pm on Tuesday, leaving the affected communities in shock and mourning. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Speaking after the incident, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, told TheCable that the victims were moderate Muslims who were allegedly targeted for refusing to submit to extremist beliefs.
According to him, the attackers preached what he described as a “strange and perverted doctrine”, which the affected communities rejected.
Addressing religious leaders, security officials, and traditional rulers at the Government House in Ilorin, Governor AbdulRazaq said preliminary findings indicated that the massacre was carried out because the communities refused to alter their Islamic practices.
“From the information we’ve been getting, this village refused to succumb to a perverted form of Islamic doctrine,” the governor said.
“They aligned under the emirate and practised their faith the way they understood it. They didn’t want changes to how they pray to God, how they pray to Allah. Because they rejected this extremist doctrine, they were attacked and massacred.”
The governor noted that the nature of the attack differed from previous incidents of banditry and kidnapping for ransom in the region.
“This was not about ransom. This was a pure massacre, and it should be condemned by all,” he added.
Following the killings, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the immediate deployment of an army battalion to the affected area to restore security and prevent further attacks.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the establishment of a new military command to lead Operation Savannah Shield in the area.
Onanuga said the President strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “cowardly and beastly”, while also referring to the perpetrators as “heartless” for targeting vulnerable communities.
The operation, he said, is aimed at neutralising the attackers, protecting residents, and restoring peace to the troubled communities.