Kwara Killings: How Security Agencies Responded To Attack– Police

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Kwara State Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, has detailed the security response to the deadly attack in parts of Kwara North, saying officers and other security agencies were deployedto the scene immediately it was reported.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday,  Ejire-Adeyemi said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adekimi Ojo, ordered the swift deployment of security personnel to the affected community once the command was alerted.

According to her, the attacked community is located about two hours from Kayama Local Government Area, but police officers, working alongside the military and the National Forest Guard, moved in almost immediately.

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“When this incident happened, the Kwara State Police Command was informed, and the Commissioner of Police deployed officers to the community without delay,” Ejire-Adeyemi said.

She added that investigations are ongoing following reports that the attackers may have stayed in the community for some time before launching the assault.

“We are still investigating the information that they had probably come earlier and stayed in the town before carrying out that dastardly act,” she said,

She also described the incident as unfortunate and assured residents that security agencies are working tirelessly to prevent a recurrence.

The police spokesperson also disclosed that clearance operations are currently ongoing across parts of Kwara and neighbouring Kogi State, aimed at disrupting criminal activities and restoring stability in the region.

“There had been relative peace in Kwara South until this incident occurred in Kwara North,” she noted, adding that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ensured that security has been significantly reinforced in the affected areas.

She said the situation has since stabilised, stressing that efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible for the attack.

“As of now, the area is relatively peaceful, and operations are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators,” she said.

Gunmen had attacked the Woro community and the neighbouring Nuku area in Kwara North at about 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, killing at least 75 people.

The attackers also set shops ablaze, torched the residence of a traditional ruler, and forced many residents to flee into nearby bushes.

The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) condemned the killings in Kwara, Katsina and Benue states, describing them as “barbaric, senseless, and a direct assault on the collective conscience of the nation.”

Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, also described the attack as a “pure massacre,” confirming that the victims had been buried.

In response to the violence, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State to reinforce security operations.