Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described the killing of over 100 people in Woro community, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, as a national disaster, calling for urgent and decisive federal intervention to halt the worsening insecurity in the state.
In a statement on Wednesday, Saraki said the scale of violence being witnessed in parts of Kwara State, particularly in the northern and southern senatorial districts, had gone beyond the capacity of the state government and now required direct action from the Federal Government.
According to him, the immediate solution lies in the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to order the deployment of troops from the Second Mechanised Infantry Division of the Nigerian Army, Ibadan, to the affected areas and establish permanent security bases there.
“What we require now to stop this mass destruction of lives and properties and to restore harmony is decisive and direct intervention from President Tinubu,” Saraki said. “The General Officer Commanding of the Second Mechanised Infantry Division should be directed to deploy his men fully to the troubled districts of Kwara State.”
He also stressed the need for joint operations involving other security agencies, noting that a strong and coordinated security presence across the state was critical to deterring further attacks.
Saraki warned that insurgents fleeing sustained military pressure in other North-Central states must not be allowed to turn Kwara State into a safe haven, describing the state as too strategic to Nigeria’s stability to be left vulnerable.
“Kwara State sits at the heart of the country, serving as a bridge between the North and the Southwest. It also shares an international border with the Republic of Benin and boundaries with several other states. Allowing insurgency to gain ground there is a grave national risk,” he said.
The former governor expressed deep sympathy to the people of Woro community, especially families who lost loved ones in the attack, praying that Almighty Allah (SWT) would comfort them, grant them strength, and heal those injured.
Saraki, however, cautioned against limiting reactions to the tragedy to statements of condolence alone, insisting that concrete steps must be taken to prevent a recurrence anywhere in the state.
“While the Federal Government must act strongly to protect lives, the state government and local government councils must also play their roles. Kwara State has historically been peaceful and proudly known as the ‘State of Harmony.’ The current level of killings, arson, and displacement is unprecedented,” he said.
Describing the Woro attack as a national emergency, Saraki said the perpetrators had effectively waged war against Nigeria, adding that it was a war the country must win without delay.
“There must be decisive measures to end this orchestrated violence against our people,” he added. “May Almighty Allah (SWT) grant Nigeria victory over these non-state actors.”
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