At least 35 people have been killed after gunmen raided Woro, a remote village in Kwara State, authorities say. Residents describe it as the deadliest attack in the area this year | Nigeria Info
At least 162 people have been killed in a brutal attack by armed gunmen on remote communities in Kwara State in west-central Nigeria, local officials and humanitarian agencies said Wednesday, marking one of the most devastating episodes of violence in the country this year.
The coordinated assault unfolded late Tuesday, February 3, 2026, when gunmen reportedly stormed the villages of Woro and Nuku in the Kaiama Local Government Area, rounding up residents, executing many, and setting fire to homes and shops.
According to Mohammed Omar Bio, the local lawmaker for the region, the attackers believed to be linked to Lakurwa, an armed group affiliated with the Islamic State forcibly rounded up villagers, tied their hands and opened fire, killing men, women and children in what officials described as a cold-blooded massacre.
Red Cross officials, who have struggled to access the remote area where the violence occurred, confirmed that the toll has climbed as recovery efforts continue, and that more bodies may yet be found in the bush as survivors flee into surrounding farmland and forest.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq strongly condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” in response to recent counterterrorism operations by Nigerian forces in the region.
Although police confirmed the incident, they did not provide specific casualty figures, instead emphasising that security forces, including the Nigerian Army, had been deployed to the affected districts to search for survivors and pursue the attackers.
Security officials say that a combination of jihadist insurgents, bandits and criminal gangs has exacerbated Nigeria’s long-running security crisis, particularly in the north-central and north-western states, where communities have faced repeated raids, kidnappings and killings over recent years.
Nigeria’s security landscape has been characterised by overlapping threats, including Islamist militant groups such as Boko Haram and its affiliates, armed bandit gangs that raid rural towns for ransom and loot, and intercommunal violence linked to resource competition.
In recent months, Nigeria has intensified military operations against extremist elements, conducting coordinated offensives aimed at dismantling bandit camps and reducing the capability of violent groups. However, the surge in attacks like the Kwara massacre has underscored the persistent vulnerabilities faced by remote communities.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has come under increasing pressure both domestically and internationally to enhance security measures, with recent discussions between Nigeria and international partners including the United States — focusing on bolstering counterterrorism cooperation.
