The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the deadly attack on Woro community in Kwara State, where dozens of residents were killed by terrorists, accusing the Federal Government of failing to act on intelligence warnings long before the massacre occurred.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the opposition party described the killings as tragic and avoidable, blaming what it called the reactionary posture of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The condemnation followed confirmation by Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq that at least 75 people were killed during the attack. Speaking to residents at the palace of the Emir of Kaiama on Wednesday night, the governor said the victims were local Muslims slaughtered for refusing to submit to extremists promoting a strange doctrine.
Reacting to the development, the PDP said the most troubling aspect of the tragedy was that community leaders had reportedly raised security alerts months ahead of the attack, with no decisive response from the authorities.
“The most painful part of this sad story,” the party said, “is the fact that several community leaders have stated that notice of this impending attack was available for months, without any meaningful proactive action from the government. This makes the post-carnage military deployment weak, reactive, and irresponsible.”
The party argued that deploying troops after the killings could not undo the damage already done or heal the trauma inflicted on survivors, stressing that the loss of lives pointed to deep-rooted security failures.
According to the PDP, the situation demands urgent and decisive action, including the establishment of an independent investigative panel to probe the lapses that led to the massacre and to explain why early warnings were ignored.
The party also called for the immediate deployment of humanitarian assistance, including medical care and temporary shelter for displaced residents of Woro community, many of whom are now grappling with grief and uncertainty.
Beyond emergency relief, the PDP urged the Federal Government to convene an emergency national security summit, bringing together key stakeholders to address worsening insecurity across the country and prevent further bloodshed.
It further advocated investment in community-based early warning systems, insisting that credible intelligence must no longer be ignored until lives are lost.
Reiterating its long-standing position on security reforms, the PDP urged the government to adopt a whole-of-society approach to tackling insecurity, including improved intelligence sharing between federal and state agencies, the establishment of state police, and targeted economic development programmes to address the root causes of banditry and terrorism.
“The current ad hoc and reactionary tactics have proven woefully inadequate,” the party said, adding that lives continue to be lost because security responses come too late.
The PDP also accused the Presidency of prioritising political calculations over its constitutional duty to protect citizens.
“Being reactionary has never been an effective strategy and cannot solve complex security challenges,” the statement read. “The blood of innocent Nigerians continues to cry out for justice and competent leadership. The time for excuses is over; the time for action is now.”
