The United States Mission in Nigeria has condemned the attack on Woro village in Kwara State, where Boko Haram terrorists killed scores of residents on Tuesday.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the US Mission described the incident as “horrific” and expressed sympathy with the affected communities.
“The United States condemns the horrific attack in Kwara state in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of more than 160 people, with the death toll still unconfirmed and many still unaccounted for,” the mission said.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this senseless violence,” it said.
The US Mission welcomed the steps taken by the Nigerian government “to protect villages in the area and his directive to federal and state officials to provide aid to the community and bring the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice.”
The condemnation comes amid responses by Nigerian authorities following the deadly assault on the Nuku and Woro communities in Kaiama LGA of Kwara State.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to the affected area to restore security.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson said the president directed that the new military formation would spearhead “Operation Savannah Shield” to “checkmate the barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities”.
According to Onanuga, Tinubu also “condemned the cowardly and beastly attack” and described the gunmen as “heartless for choosing soft targets in their doomed campaign of terror”.
Reacting to the incident, Ademola Adeleke, Osun state governor, ordered heightened security across border communities in his state to prevent a spillover of violence.
The governor also commiserated with the government and people of Kwara State over the killings, describing the incident as a painful tragedy.
In a statement shared on his X page on Friday, Adeleke said the Osun State Government would continue to monitor developments closely and work with security agencies to ensure the safety of residents.