Category Nigeria News

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Kwara State Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, has detailed the security response to the deadly attack in parts of Kwara North, saying officers and other security agencies were deployedto the scene immediately it was reported.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday,  Ejire-Adeyemi said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adekimi Ojo, ordered the swift deployment of security personnel to the affected community once the command was alerted.

According to her, the attacked community is located about two hours from Kayama Local Government Area, but police officers, working alongside the military and the National Forest Guard, moved in almost immediately.

READ ALSO: Police Confirm 75 Dead In Kwara Killings

“When this incident happened, the Kwara State Police Command was informed, and the Commissioner of Police deployed officers to the community without delay,” Ejire-Adeyemi said.

She added that investigations are ongoing following reports that the attackers may have stayed in the community for some time before launching the assault.

“We are still investigating the information that they had probably come earlier and stayed in the town before carrying out that dastardly act,” she said,

She also described the incident as unfortunate and assured residents that security agencies are working tirelessly to prevent a recurrence.

The police spokesperson also disclosed that clearance operations are currently ongoing across parts of Kwara and neighbouring Kogi State, aimed at disrupting criminal activities and restoring stability in the region.

“There had been relative peace in Kwara South until this incident occurred in Kwara North,” she noted, adding that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ensured that security has been significantly reinforced in the affected areas.

She said the situation has since stabilised, stressing that efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible for the attack.

“As of now, the area is relatively peaceful, and operations are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators,” she said.

Tuesday Gruesome Attack

Gunmen had attacked the Woro community and the neighbouring Nuku area in Kwara North at about 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, killing at least 75 people. 

The attackers also set shops ablaze, torched the residence of a traditional ruler, and forced many residents to flee into nearby bushes.

The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) condemned the killings in Kwara, Katsina and Benue states, describing them as “barbaric, senseless, and a direct assault on the collective conscience of the nation.”

Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, also described the attack as a “pure massacre,” confirming that the victims had been buried.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the fresh bids by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Ahmadu Bello University to stop the implementation of ₦2.5 billion judgment debt against the school and in favour of the 110 ABU workers unlawfully sacked in 1996.

In two separate unanimous judgements of a three-member panel of justices, the appellate court ordered the CBN to immediately release the ₦2.5 billion to the former workers of the ABU without any further delay.

In the lead judgments delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the Court of Appeal threatened to impose heavy sanctions against the prime movers of CBN, should the apex bank further refuse to release the money kept in its custody since 2018 by ABU, for onward payment to the aggrieved workers.

Justice Abang dismissed the claim of the CBN that the 110 workers unlawfully sacked by ABU in 1996 but ordered reinstated by the National Industrial Court in Abuja, cannot use garnishee proceedings against it to collect the money.

The claims of the apex bank that consent of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF) must first be obtained by the workers before payments can be effected were also dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

The CBN and ABU had, in separate appeals, challenged the implementation of the judgment of the Industrial Court, which ordered ABU to pay the entitlement of the 110 workers, having found that they were unlawfully laid off by the Sole Administrator of the University, General Mamman Kontagora, in 1996.

READ ALSO: Court Nullifies FG’s Revocation Of Dawes Island Oil Field Licence

The two appellants also faulted the use of garnishee proceedings against them by the workers to effect payments.

The two appeals were dismissed for being unmeritorious.

Justice Rakiya Haastrup of the Industrial Court had on January 27, 2022, issued a “garnishee order absolute,” directing the CBN to pay the judgment sum to the workers from ABU’s funds.

Justice Abang held that the workers were right in filing garnishee proceedings against CBN to enforce payments of their entitlement as required by law.

The Court of Appeal scolded the CBN for wasting public funds to engage lawyers to file a suit to frustrate the payments of the entitlement to the aggrieved workers.

According to the appellate court, the conduct of the CBN in opposing payments of the money was reckless and reprehensible to the workers since the ABU had deposited the money with it for the settlement of the judgment debt.

“In this matter, it is not the duty of the CBN to play the role of the advocate but to implement the court judgment that awarded the money to the workers in the absence of any contrary court order.

“It is also unethical for the lawyer to the CBN to have supported the bank in frustrating the judgment of the Industrial Court. The unfortunate action of the CBN had prolonged the sufferings and hardships of the workers.

“The lawyer ought to have advised the CBN not to play the role of the advocate, no matter how juicy the CBN brief. The action of CBN is cowardice. It took the matter personal against the workers who have been suffering since 2013.

“There is no lawful reason for the CBN to have filed this appeal against the judgment of the Industrial Court since the workers made no claims against the bank.

“The lawyer owes a duty to the court, to the country, and to the 110 workers to see that they are not unjustly punished or denied the fruits of their court victory. He ought to have withdrawn his services if CBN goes against his advice. They ended up wasting the valuable judicial time of this Court.

“How can CBN be asking that the order of the court not made against it be vacated when it has been holding the workers’ money since 2018? The situation must not continue. There must be an end to it. The workers deserve the fruit of their labour,” he said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a mock accreditation and results upload exercise ahead of the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.

In a statement signed by INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for the FCT, the electoral umpire said the mock exercise will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

According to the commission, the exercise is aimed at ensuring a hitch-free Area Council election by testing accreditation procedures and the results upload process.

INEC encouraged voters in the affected polling units to turn out with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the mock exercise, noting that their participation would help fine-tune preparations for the main election.

READ ALSO: INEC Registers Two New Political Parties

The commission said that the list of designated polling units for the mock exercise is available on its official website.

INEC also assured residents of the FCT of its readiness to conduct a credible and successful Area Council election on Saturday, February 21, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission is holding a security meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on election security.

The meeting is the culmination of a series of engagements the electoral umpire has held with key stakeholders since the beginning of the week.

According to INEC, the meeting is intended to brief security agencies on forthcoming elections, including the FCT Area Council polls and the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June.

The INEC Chairman said the engagement is also aimed at fine-tuning security preparations to ensure the safety of voters, election personnel, and materials during the polls.

Both the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, are represented at the meeting.

Suspected smugglers have killed a Customs operative in Ogun State.

The victim, Mustapha Akiyode, was fatally shot during an ambush along the Ilara–Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, a border corridor notorious for smuggling activities.

“The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, has announced with deep regret the loss of an officer, Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC I) Mustapha Akiyode who was shot in the line of duty by suspected smugglers in the early hours of Tuesday, 3 February 2026, in an ambush along the Ilara–Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State,” Customs wrote in a post on its X handle on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Comptroller of FOU Zone ‘A’, Gambo Aliyu, has described the incident as “a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by officers engaged in border enforcement.”

Aliyu, who spoke, was quoted as speaking in a briefing, unveiled a renewed intelligence-driven anti-smuggling strategy that has yielded significant operational successes, including major drug seizures, valued prohibited interceptions, and strengthened enforcement outcomes across its area of responsibility.

READ ALSO: Scores Feared Dead As Gunmen Attack Kwara Communities

Customs Record Successes

According to him, the new strategy resulted in the interception of 144 smuggling attempts, involving various prohibited and uncustomed goods. These include 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 77 bags of foreign sugar, 21 units of used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), 915 bales of used clothing, 581 used refrigerator compressors, which constitute hazardous waste under Nigerian law and international conventions, and a 20-foot container of stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.

“Upon assumption of duty a few weeks ago, I made a clear commitment that we will confront smuggling syndicates with renewed vigour, professional discipline, and complete respect for the rule of law and human dignity,” the Comptroller said.

In a significant breakthrough against narcotics trafficking, Comptroller Aliyu disclosed that officers of the Unit intercepted 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica, weighing 1,431 kilograms, significantly disrupting drug supply chains within the Command’s operational corridor.

He warned that drug trafficking fuels banditry, terrorism, and other societal vices, urging perpetrators to desist or face the full consequences of the law.

“Drug trafficking fuels threats by providing chemical catalysts such as methamphetamine and others that embolden perpetrators, erode morale, and destabilise the nation. I urge perpetrators of this illicit trade to be patriotic enough to change their ways and embrace legitimate trade or face the consequences of their actions, as our determination is resolute”, he warned.

Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the various seizures, which have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦3,319,893,255.00.

More than 50 survivors of the recent attack on the Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State are receiving treatment in hospitals for injuries sustained during the assault.

The victims suffered varying degrees of injuries, including gunshot wounds, following the deadly attack, which also affected the neighbouring Nuku community.

The Senator representing Kwara North Senatorial District, Sadiq Umar, visited some of the injured survivors, where he sympathised with them and described the incident as heartbreaking.

He prayed for their speedy recovery and reassured the victims of his continued support throughout their period of treatment and recovery.

Senator Umar commended President Bola Tinubu for the deployment of security personnel under Operation Savannah Shield, aimed at restoring peace and tracking down those responsible for the attack.

READ ALSO: UN, US, Condemn Kwara Attack As Türkiye Pledges Support To Fight Terrorism

He also praised Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for what he described as a swift response, particularly the directive to the State Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials to affected persons.

The lawmaker called for sustained security operations across Kwara North, noting that the senatorial district has continued to face security challenges.

He urged residents to remain united, hopeful, and prayerful, while reaffirming his commitment to the well-being of his constituents and praying for lasting peace in the region.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical, operational, and intelligence assets to Kaiama Local Government Area following the attack.

The Nigerian Police Force condemned the incident, describing it as tragic, and confirmed that a manhunt is underway to apprehend those responsible.

Gunmen attacked Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities on Tuesday, killing at least 75 people, setting shops and a traditional ruler’s residence ablaze, and forcing residents to flee their homes.

While some reports suggested a higher casualty figure, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Friday that the death toll stood at 75.

Governor AbdulRazaq described the incident as a “pure massacre” and confirmed that at least 75 victims had already been buried.

President Bola Tinubu has also ordered the deployment of an army battalion to further reinforce security in the state under Operation Savannah Shield.

The United Nations, the US, and Türkiye have condemned the killings in Kwara.

In a separate statement, they said the attack, which left about 75 people dead and several others wounded, and described the incident as “heinous”.

In an X post, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “I strongly condemn the terrorist attack of 3 February in Kwara State, Nigeria.

“My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims & to the people & government of Nigeria. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Also, the United States in Nigeria said, “The United States condemns the horrific attack in Kwara State in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of more than 160 people, with the death toll still unconfirmed and many still unaccounted for.

“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this senseless violence. We welcome President Tinubu’s order to deploy security forces to protect villages in the area and his directive to federal and state officials to provide aid to the community and bring the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice.”

READ ALSO: IGP Directs Tactical Deployment, Manhunt After Kwara Attack

The Turkish government also said, “Regarding the terrorist attack in Nigeria, we are deeply saddened by the loss of lives caused by the terrorist attack that took place in Nigeria’s Kwara state.

“We strongly condemn this heinous attack and extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to the people of Nigeria. Türkiye will continue to support Nigeria in its fight against terrorism,” its Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical, operational, and intelligence assets to Kaiama Local Government Area following the attack.

The Nigerian Police Force condemned the incident, describing it as tragic, and confirmed that a manhunt is underway to arrest those responsible.

Gunmen had attacked Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities on Tuesday, killing at least 75 people, burning shops and a traditional ruler’s residence, and forcing residents to flee their homes.

Some reports have suggested a higher casualty figure.

The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, described the incident as a “pure massacre” and confirmed that at least 75 victims had already been buried.

President Bola Tinubu has also ordered the deployment of an army battalion to reinforce security in the state under Operation Savannah Shield.