The Defence Headquarters on Monday faulted the recent terrorist attack on Woro and neighbouring communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, describing it as a cowardly assault on innocent citizens.
In a statement signed by the Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, the military said it was shocked by the loss of lives and mourned with families of victims killed in what it called brutal attacks on defenceless communities.
The DHQ commended the resilience of residents of Woro and adjoining villages, noting that they had earlier resisted attempts by terrorists to impose extremist ideology on them.
According to the statement, the assailants had earlier visited the community to seek permission to conduct preaching and indoctrination sessions, a request which was rejected by the villagers. The military said it was informed of the development and promptly deployed troops to dominate the area with patrols and surveillance for about two weeks.
It added that the attackers later returned weeks after and carried out the deadly assault in a bid to terrorise the people and punish them for resisting their demands.
The Defence Headquarters urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in their faith in the Constitution and uphold the values that bind the country together, stressing that unity and resilience remain the strongest defence against violent extremism.
The military also called on citizens, regardless of ethnic, religious or regional background, to resist any form of ideological indoctrination by extremist groups seeking to impose their beliefs through terror and intimidation.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, the DHQ said efforts had been intensified in collaboration with other security agencies to track down and bring those responsible for the attack to justice.
It also urged the public to continue to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information to help protect communities and preserve Nigeria’s democratic ideals.
