Tinubu emergency security talks follow the Kwara massacre as global condemnation grows and security forces deploy to restore calm
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday held emergency security talks with the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the State House, Abuja, following a deadly attack in Kaiama Local Government Area that has sparked national and international outrage.
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The meeting came as the United Nations and the Republic of Türkiye condemned the killings, northern senators demanded a sweeping security overhaul, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the immediate deployment of tactical teams to the affected communities.
At least 75 people were confirmed killed in the attack, according to police figures, with several others still missing, prompting renewed calls for stronger federal intervention as lawmakers warned that Nigeria’s worsening rural insecurity now poses a grave threat to national stability.
President Tinubu had earlier approved the deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama and authorised the creation of a new military command under Operation Savannah Shield to secure the area and flush out the attackers.
Governor AbdulRazaq, speaking to journalists after the closed door meeting, said the President had directed the Armed Forces to move decisively, expressing confidence that the new deployment would deter further violence and restore peace.
The Northern Senators Forum also urged the Federal Government to urgently recruit more security personnel and strengthen operational capacity, citing recent attacks in Kwara, Katsina and Benue states that lawmakers said had left more than 130 people dead.
Chairman of the Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, described the killings as senseless and said the forum remained committed to supporting measures that address the root causes of insecurity and promote national stability.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the deployment of tactical, operational and intelligence assets to Kaiama and surrounding communities, assuring residents that an intensive manhunt had been launched to apprehend the perpetrators.
International condemnation followed swiftly, with United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs describing the attack as heinous and extending condolences to the victims’ families and the Nigerian government.
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The growing outrage has intensified pressure on the Federal Government to deliver decisive, intelligence led action amid mounting public concern over the country’s deepening security crisis.
