The PDP expressed condolences to families affected by the attack, noting, “We deeply commiserate with the families of those who have lost their loved ones to this dastardly act.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the killing of about 170 people in Woro Community of Kwara State as evidence of the failure of the President Bola Tinubu administration and a reflection of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party said the attack, carried out by terrorists underscored the grim security situation confronting Nigerians under the current administration.
“The sad and shocking news of the killing of about 170 people (as reported by Al Jazeera) by terrorists in Woro Community of Kwara State is another painful reminder of the new reality of heightened insecurity that Nigerians have been faced with under the Bola Tinubu Presidency,” the statement read.
The PDP expressed condolences to families affected by the attack, noting, “We deeply commiserate with the families of those who have lost their loved ones to this dastardly act.”
According to the party, the tragedy was compounded by claims from community leaders that warnings about the impending attack had been available for months without any meaningful action by the authorities. It said this failure made the subsequent military response ineffective.
“The most painful part of this sad story is the fact that several community leaders have stated that the notice of this impending attack was available for months, without any meaningful proactive action from the Government, which makes the post-carnage military deployment weak, reactive, and irresponsible,” the PDP stated.
“The Presidential deployment of the military cannot bring back the killed people or erase the concomitant trauma imposed upon the community.”
In response to the incident, the PDP demanded urgent measures, including the establishment of an independent panel to investigate the security failures that led to the massacre, particularly why early warnings were ignored.
It also called for immediate humanitarian assistance, medical care, and temporary shelter for displaced and traumatised survivors in Woro Community.
The party further urged the Nigerian Government to convene an emergency National Security Summit involving all stakeholders and to strengthen early warning systems through investments in community-based mechanisms to ensure credible threats are promptly addressed.
“Furthermore, we reiterate our call that the Federal Government should adopt a whole-of-society approach in providing a sustainable solution to the insecurity problem in the country,” the statement said.
The PDP noted that such an approach should include intelligence sharing between federal and state security agencies, the commencement of state policing, addressing the root causes of banditry and terrorism through economic development in affected regions, and regular security briefings on emerging threats.
Criticising the government’s approach, the party said, “Their current ad hoc and reactionary tactics have proven woefully inadequate, with attendant loss of lives.
“The Tinubu administration must be reminded that being reactionary has never been an effective strategy and cannot be relied on to solve complex problems.”
The party rebuked the Presidency, saying it was paying more attention to politics than to its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property.
“Undeniably, the Presidency is paying more attention to politics than to the execution of the primary mandate of government, which is the protection of lives and property.
“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,” it said.