Abubakar Bukola Saraki, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former Senate President, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the increasing insurgency in Kwara State, specifically in the senatorial districts located in the north and south.
A national calamity, he said, was Tuesday’s slaughter of more than a hundred people in the Kaiama Local Government Area’s Woro and Nuku settlements.
Saddened by the insurgent attack that levelled numerous houses in the Woro community, Saraki called on President Tinubu to personally intervene by ordering security agencies to form an inter-agency intervention team to apprehend the bandits from Kwara State and neighbouring states.
Saraki stated, through his Press Officer on Local Matters, Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, that the state administration is unable to handle the current crisis in Kwara State and that the President should intervene to help the people.
President Tinubu’s immediate and firm involvement is urgently needed to end the senseless loss of life and property in our state and bring peace back.
The disturbed districts of Kwara State need the full deployment of the troops from the Second Mechanised Infantry Division, Ibadan, and the establishment of a base there. We implore the Commander-in-Chief to order this.
We also need other state security agencies to coordinate their efforts and be visible throughout the state. According to him, that’s our sole option for discouraging these attackers.
We must not enable rebels seeking sanctuary in Kwara State to get away from the relentless gunfire of security services in neighbouring states in the North Central zone, Dr. Saraki emphasised.
The nation cannot afford to let insurgency take root in Kwara State because of its strategic importance. It connects the northern and southern regions of the nation and is situated in the center of the nation. Along with sharing borders with numerous other states, it also shares an international border with the Republic of Benin.
Those who have lost loved ones among the Woro people have my deepest sympathies. I pray that Allah, the Most High, gives them peace and the courage to deal with this tragedy. I pray that He also mends the brokenhearted.
But our response to this tragic event should go beyond statements made to the media. It is our responsibility to make sure that Kwara State is safe for our people from future acts of violence.
He stated that the state and its local councils should do their share to safeguard the state’s citizens, in addition to the federal government’s strong and immediate response.
“The level of danger in Kwara State was not always this high. Because of its long history of relative calm, the state is known as the “State of Harmony.” The situation has worsened significantly, regrettably. We have never seen anything like the current amount of violence, arson, and population exodus.
This planned bloodshed against the people must end, and immediate action is required. The situation is regrettable. War in Woro has broken out on a national scale. War against Nigeria was the goal of these criminals in Woro.
There can be no more procrastination; this is a fight our nation must win. Saraki prayed that Allah would grant victory to their nation over the non-state actors.