President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of military personnel, equipment and surveillance technology to Kwara State to halt the recent spate of bandits attacks, killing 75 residents who were identified as Muslims.
The President approved the deployment alongside the appointment of a field commander and the launch of a counter-offensive operation codenamed Operation Savannah Shield.
The Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on Wednesday through a short statement made available to newsmen through his social media handle.
Onanuga said the directive underscores the administration’s resolve to protect lives and stabilize communities facing persistent attacks.
“Help is on the way for the beleaguered people of Kaiama and others as President Tinubu orders the deployment of a military battalion, the appointment of a commander and the start of Operation Savannah Shield,” Onanuga said.
Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed the scale of the attack after visiting Kaiama with security chiefs and senior members of his cabinet.
The governor said the victims were local Muslims who were allegedly targeted for refusing to submit to armed extremists propagating what he described as a strange doctrine.
Governor AbdulRazaq, who commiserated with the affected community, said preliminary accounts indicated that the assailants carried out the killings after residents resisted their demands.
He added that the state government was working closely with federal authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are tracked down and brought to justice.
“This was a senseless massacre of innocent people whose only offence was standing their ground,” the governor said, noting that the newly deployed troops would strengthen ongoing security efforts in the area.
The Guild reports that Kaiama, located in Kwara North, has in recent years witnessed sporadic attacks linked to armed groups operating along forested border communities.
