Tinubu Launches ‘Operation Savannah Shield’ as Kwara Death Toll Passes 160

​In a swift response to the horrific massacre in Kaiama Local Government Area, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State. The military intervention, codenamed Operation Savannah Shield, aims to flush out the extremist cells responsible for the slaughter of over 160 residents in the Woro and Nuku communities.

​The attacks, which occurred on the evening of Tuesday, February 3, 2026, were reportedly carried out by the Lakurawa, an armed group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS). Survivors and local officials described a scene of absolute depravity: gunmen rounded up villagers, bound their hands, and executed them for refusing to renounce their moderate Islamic faith in favor of a “perverted” extremist doctrine.

​A Presidential Directive for Justice

​Through a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu condemned the “beastly” nature of the assault. He praised the courage of the villagers who stood their ground against forced conscription into a violent ideology.

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​”It is commendable that the community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a weird belief that promoted violence over peace,” the President stated. “These gunmen are heartless for choosing soft targets in their doomed campaign of terror.”

​The new military command in Kaiama will spearhead Operation Savannah Shield, a specialized campaign designed to secure the border regions between Kwara and Niger states, where the terrorists are believed to be hiding within the vast Borgu National Park.

​Rising Death Toll and Humanitarian Crisis

​While initial reports estimated 75 casualties, local lawmaker Mohammed Omar Bio and the Red Cross have since updated the figure to at least 162 confirmed dead. Amnesty International has suggested the toll could exceed 170 as search teams recover more bodies from the surrounding bush.

​The attackers reportedly used the cover of a local sermon to strike, opening fire when the community rejected their demands to switch to a fundamentalist interpretation of Sharia law. In addition to the killings, dozens of homes and shops were razed, leaving hundreds displaced.