According to The Punch reporting, President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama Local Government Area in Kwara State following a brutal attack that left over 160 residents dead. The new military command will spearhead “Operation Savannah Shield,” a targeted offensive designed to track down the gunmen who targeted innocent villagers in what the President described as a “cowardly and beastly” campaign of terror.
The security crisis was also covered by Daily Post and Tribune Online, which provided updates on the humanitarian response. Daily Post confirmed that “relief materials are already being moved to the affected communities,” while Tribune Online quoted Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq saying, “We will not rest until the perpetrators of this massacre are brought to justice.”
The U.S. government has reportedly condemned the killings and expressed support for the Nigerian government’s security deployment. Security experts remain concerned about the vulnerability of border communities in Kwara and have called for permanent military outposts in the region to prevent future incursions by bandits.
Echotitbits take: The rapid deployment of “Operation Savannah Shield” shows a proactive stance, but the 10-hour delay reported by locals before troops arrived indicates a massive gap in early-warning systems. The focus must shift from reactive deployment to proactive intelligence gathering.
Source: Channels TV – https://www.channelstv.com/2026/02/05/kwara-attack-tinubu-orders-deployment-of-troops-condemns-incident/, February 6, 2026
Photo credit: Channels TV
