At least 162 people have been killed in a deadly attack on Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, according to the Nigerian Red Cross, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the country in recent months.
The attack occurred late Tuesday when gunmen invaded the community in the west-central state, days after the military carried out operations in the area against what it described as “terrorist elements.”
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had earlier confirmed the death of 75 persons. Speaking on Wednesday night at the palace of the Emir of Kaiama, the governor said the victims were “local Muslims massacred for refusing to surrender to extremists preaching a strange doctrine.”
He disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion under Operation Savannah Shield to launch counter-offensive operations against the attackers.
However, the Kwara State Secretary of the Red Cross, Babaomo Ayodeji, said the casualty figure had risen significantly as search and recovery efforts continued.
“Reports indicate that the death toll now stands at 162, as the search for more bodies continues,” Ayodeji said, updating an earlier figure of 67.
Earlier, a lawmaker representing the Kaiama area, Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, told AFP that between 35 and 40 bodies were initially recovered following the attack.
The attack was confirmed by the police and the Kwara State Government, both of which blamed “terrorist cells,” although the police did not provide an official casualty figure.
“Many others escaped into the bush with gunshot wounds,” Ahmed said, adding that more bodies could still be discovered as security operatives comb the area.
According to him, the gunmen stormed Woro village at about 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, setting shops and the palace of the traditional ruler on fire.
As of Wednesday, the whereabouts of the traditional ruler of Woro remained unknown. He was identified by the Red Cross as Alhaji Salihu Umar.
Governor AbdulRazaq condemned the attack, describing it as “a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following the ongoing counterterrorism campaigns in parts of the state.”
Parts of Nigeria continue to face persistent insecurity from armed groups commonly referred to as bandits, who attack rural communities and abduct residents for ransom, alongside intercommunal violence in the central region and jihadist activity in the northeast and northwest.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, suspected bandits killed 23 civilians in northern Katsina State in what security sources described as reprisal attacks following recent military operations that reportedly killed 27 militants in air strikes. The information was contained in a security report prepared for the United Nations.
The Nigerian military has intensified operations against jihadist groups and armed gangs in recent months. In January, the army announced that it had launched sustained coordinated offensive operations against terrorist elements in Kwara State, claiming significant success.
Local media reported that troops had “neutralised” about 150 bandits, a term used by the military to indicate those killed during operations.
In a statement issued on January 30, the army said troops had stormed remote camps previously inaccessible to security forces, destroying logistics bases and hideouts used by the groups.
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Jihadist attacks escalated last year after the Al-Qaeda–linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims claimed responsibility for its first attack in Nigeria, which also occurred in Kwara State.
Security analyst Brant Philip noted that the latest raid occurred about four kilometres from the site of the October attack, suggesting an overlap in operational areas between jihadist groups, including Boko Haram, and possible coordination.
In response to growing insecurity, Kwara State authorities had earlier imposed curfews in some affected areas and shut schools for several weeks before ordering their reopening on Monday.
Nigeria’s security situation has drawn increased international attention in recent months following claims by former United States President Donald Trump alleging a “genocide” of Christians in the country. The claims have been rejected by the Nigerian government and several independent analysts, who maintain that the violence affects both Christians and Muslims without distinction.
