Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq arrived at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, around 5:00 pm on Thursday for a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The visit comes just days after a devastating terrorist attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday evening, where gunmen killed over 100 residents in what has been described as one of the deadliest assaults recorded in Nigeria in 2026.
The attackers, suspected to be fighters linked to a Boko Haram faction, reportedly stormed the villages around 6:00 pm, killing residents, burning homes, shops, and the palace of the Emir of Woro, Alhaji Saliu Umar. The Emir remains missing, while his two wives, several children, the Chief Imam, a school principal, and students were among the victims confirmed dead.
Initial reports indicate the assault was retaliatory after the community rejected demands by the extremists to attend their sermons and adopt their radical ideology. The Emir had reportedly alerted military authorities about the group’s activities in the area prior to the attack.
President Tinubu, in a statement issued Wednesday night, condemned the killings as “cowardly and inhumane,” noting that the victims were targeted for choosing peaceful Islamic practice over violent extremism. He ordered the immediate deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama and approved the establishment of a new military command to lead Operation Savannah Shield, aimed at countering terrorist activity and protecting vulnerable communities in the region.
Governor AbdulRazaq, who visited the affected communities on Wednesday night alongside service chiefs and cabinet members, described the attack as “a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following ongoing counterterrorism campaigns” in parts of the state.
The Thursday meeting at Aso Rock is expected to focus on security reinforcement, humanitarian support for survivors, and coordinated federal-state efforts to prevent further attacks in the volatile border area between Kwara and Niger States.
The incident has heightened concerns over the spread of extremist violence in north-central Nigeria, despite intensified military operations in recent months.
