Nigeria Governors’ Forum mourns victims of Niger, Kwara terror attacks

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has expressed grave concern over Saturday night’s terrorist attacks on three communities Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso, and Pissa in Niger State, which resulted in multiple deaths and the abduction of innocent residents.

The Forum commiserated with the government and people of Niger State over the tragic incident.

The NGF also condoled with the government and people of Kwara State following the recent terrorist attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, where dozens of innocent people were reportedly killed for rejecting a strange doctrine said to be inconsistent with Islam.

In a statement signed by Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the NGF, the Forum said: “We send our sincerest condolences to all the families who lost their loved ones in these unfortunate terrorist attacks. We acknowledge and identify with the trauma and pain of the survivors and pray for the safe return of those still missing.

We commend the security forces for their gallantry, successes, and immense sacrifices across various theatres of operation. However, we urge them to bring the full weight of state power against the terrorists and their collaborators to bring this menace to an immediate end. We strongly believe in the capacity of our security forces to win this war against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.”

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government has reacted to a disturbing video allegedly released by terrorists on Saturday, showing some individuals taken during the February 3 attack on Woro community.

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The government said its thoughts are with all affected families and reaffirmed its commitment to securing the safe return of those impacted.

Bolanle Olukoju, the State Commissioner for Communications stated: “We acknowledge the anxiety this footage may cause. Government officials and security agencies are carefully analysing the video to establish the identities of the individuals shown.”

She noted that since the incident, there have been varying accounts regarding the number of persons abducted. As a result, neither the state government nor security agencies have released a definitive figure.

“Our priority remains the safe rescue of every affected citizen and ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice,” she added.

According to her, the government has engaged Woro community leaders to assist in identifying individuals seen in the footage. A few persons have been preliminarily identified as residents of Woro, while community representatives indicated that others remain unaccounted for.

She explained that some individuals initially reported missing have since reunited with their families, while others may have temporarily relocated to neighbouring communities, including Wawa and New Bussa in Niger State.

The government’s response committee, led by Ahmed Ibn Muhammed, continues to collaborate with security agencies, local authorities, and community stakeholders to coordinate rescue efforts, humanitarian support, and the safe return of displaced persons.

“We assure the public that verified updates will be provided as more information becomes available through proper coordination with security and community leaders. We urge residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and continue cooperating with authorities,” the statement added.