Kwara Massacre – UN, Türkiye Slam Killings as Tinubu Races to Stop Bloodshed

By: Abudu Olalekan

The Night the Terrorists Came Back for Blood

They warned them.

The people of Woro village in Kwara State said no.

No to strange preachers. No to forced sermons. No to men with guns demanding they abandon their faith.

And then the terrorists returned.

Not with words. With bullets.

At least 75 people—men, women, children—slaughtered in a single night. A massacre so brutal it shook the nation. The United Nations called it “unconscionable.” Türkiye called it “heinous.” And President Bola Tinubu? He called an emergency meeting.

Because this wasn’t just another attack. It was revenge.

The Rejection That Sparked a Massacre

It started weeks ago.

Strangers rolled into Woro, a quiet Muslim-majority village in Kaiama Local Government. They didn’t come with food or medicine. They came with demands.

“Let us preach. Let us teach you our ways.”

The villagers refused.

No debate. No hesitation. Just a firm “No.”

The military got wind of it. Troops moved in. Patrols. Surveillance. For two weeks, the area was locked down. The strangers vanished.

Then the soldiers left.

And the killers came back.

A Village Turned Graveyard

Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

The terrorists struck under cover of darkness. No warnings. No mercy.

Homes burned. Bodies piled up. By dawn, Woro was a ghost town of grief.

The Defence Headquarters didn’t hold back: “They came back to kill. To terrorize. To force compliance through fear.”

But the villagers had already made their choice. They stood their ground. And paid the price.

Tinubu’s Emergency Move: “This Ends Now”

The President didn’t wait.

Within hours, he summoned Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to Abuja. Behind closed doors, they mapped out a response.

“We’re flooding the area with soldiers,” AbdulRazaq told reporters after the meeting. “Operation Savannah Shield is hitting the ground running. These killers won’t escape.”

Tinubu didn’t just condemn the attack. He called it “cowardly, inhuman, and unacceptable.” And he made a promise: “The perpetrators will face justice.”

But in a country where terrorists move freely, where abductions and massacres happen almost daily, the question lingers:

How many more Woros will there be?

The World Reacts: “This Must Stop”

The United Nations didn’t mince words.

Secretary-General António Guterres took to X (formerly Twitter): “I strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Kwara State. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. This must stop.”

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry echoed the outrage: “We stand with Nigeria in its fight against terrorism. These attacks are barbaric and must be met with decisive action.”

But the condemnations won’t bring back the dead. And they won’t stop the next attack.

The Police’s Manhunt: “We Will Find Them”

Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun didn’t just offer condolences. He ordered an immediate crackdown.

“Tactical teams are being deployed. Intelligence assets are being mobilized. We will find these killers,” his spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, declared.

But Nigerians have heard this before.

“We’ve seen this movie,” said a resident of Woro, who asked not to be named. “The military comes. The police come. Then they leave. And the killers return.”

The Northern Senators’ Warning: “This Is a National Emergency”

The Northern Senators Forum didn’t hold back.

“This isn’t just Kwara’s problem. It’s Nigeria’s problem,” said Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, the Forum’s chairman.

“We need more troops. More intelligence. More guns. Because if we don’t act now, this will spread.”

The lawmakers demanded a “sweeping security overhaul”—more recruitment, better equipment, stronger federal intervention.

But with attacks raging in Katsina, Benue, and beyond, the question remains:

Is anyone listening?

The PDP’s Scathing Rebuke: “Too Little, Too Late”

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party didn’t pull punches.

“The government had warnings. Months of warnings. And they did nothing,” said PDP spokesperson Ini Ememobong.

“Now they’re sending in troops after the bloodshed. That’s not leadership. That’s damage control.”

The party demanded an “independent investigation” and a “national security summit.”

But for the families of the dead, it’s too late for investigations. Too late for summits.

The Kidnapped King’s Ransom: A Nation Held Hostage

While Kwara buried its dead, another crisis unfolded.

Oba Simeon Olanipekun, the Oniwo of Afin, was kidnapped in a separate attack. His son was freed after a N20 million ransom. But the king? He was held for a month.

Until his family paid another N12 million.

“They dropped him at a herders’ settlement,” a family source told Reportersroom. “He’s alive. But broken.”

The police denied knowledge of the ransom. But everyone knows the truth.

In Nigeria, kidnapping is big business. And the government? It’s losing the war.

What Happens Now?

The military is moving in. The police are hunting. The world is watching.

But the terrorists? They’re still out there.

Waiting. Watching. Planning the next attack.

And until Nigeria fixes its broken security system, the bloodshed won’t stop