Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has described the killing of over 100 people in Woro community, Kaiama Local Government Area, as a national disaster, urging immediate federal intervention to restore security in Kwara State.
In a statement on Wednesday, Saraki explained that the violence in parts of Kwara State, particularly in the northern and southern senatorial districts, has exceeded the capacity of the state government to manage. He called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Second Mechanised Infantry Division, Ibadan, to deploy troops to the affected districts and establish a permanent base in the area.
“The insurgents who are fleeing from other states in the North Central zone should not be allowed to find a comfort zone in Kwara State,” Saraki said, emphasising that a coordinated presence of all security agencies across the state is necessary to deter further attacks.
Highlighting Kwara State’s strategic importance, Saraki said the state, located in the centre of the country and bordering the Republic of Benin, serves as a bridge between the North and the Southwest. He warned that allowing insurgents to gain a foothold in the state could pose a threat to national security.
Saraki extended his sympathies to the families of the Woro community who lost loved ones, praying for their comfort and for the speedy recovery of the wounded.
He also called on both federal and state authorities, including local government councils, to take active measures to prevent a recurrence of such violence.
“Kwara State has not always been this unsafe. The state has always been peaceful, earning the sobriquet ‘State of Harmony’. Unfortunately, the level of killings, arson, and displacement we are witnessing now is unprecedented,” he said.
Describing the Woro attack as an orchestrated assault on the nation, Saraki stressed that decisive action is required to defeat the perpetrators. “What these criminals did in Woro was to wage war against Nigeria. It is a war the country must win without delay,” he said, praying for victory over the non-state actors responsible.
