Woro, Kwara State, Nigeria – At least 162 people were killed in a devastating attack on Woro village in Nigeria’s Kwara state late Tuesday, according to a Red Cross official, marking one of the deadliest assaults in the country in recent months. The massacre, which local officials described as a reprisal for the community’s refusal to accept extremist doctrine, has prompted a major military deployment and drawn international condemnation.
Attack Details and Conflicting Casualty Figures
The assault began around 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Gunmen, estimated to number over 100, invaded Woro village, setting shops and the traditional ruler’s palace ablaze. Initial casualty reports varied significantly between state and humanitarian officials.
* Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed 75 deaths on Wednesday night, stating the victims were “local Muslims massacred for refusing to surrender to extremists.”
* The Nigerian Red Cross provided a much higher figure. Kwara State Secretary Babaomo Ayodeji said the death toll had risen to 162 as searches for bodies continued, updating an earlier count of 67.
* A local lawmaker, Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, told AFP that between 35 to 40 bodies were initially counted, with many residents fleeing into the bush with gunshot wounds.
The whereabouts of the village’s traditional leader, Alhaji Salihu Umar, remain unknown.
Official Responses and Military Action
In response to the attack, President Bola Tinubu approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion to the region under “Operation Savannah Shield.” Governor AbdulRazaq condemned the violence as a “cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” following recent military counter-terrorism campaigns in the state.
The Nigerian military had recently intensified operations in Kwara. In a statement on January 30, the army reported it had “neutralised” 150 bandits and destroyed several remote camps, degrading the “terrorists’ sustainment capability.”
The Kwara massacre follows a pattern of escalating extremist activity in Nigeria’s central regions. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM)** claimed its first attack in Nigeria in Kwara last year. Analysts note this latest raid occurred just four kilometers from that October attack site, suggesting a concerning overlap in militant activity zones.
In a separate incident also on Tuesday, suspected bandits killed 23 civilians in northern Katsina state in apparent retaliation for recent military airstrikes that had killed 27 militants.
International Reaction
The attack has drawn international concern. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, while the United States condemned the “horrific attack” and offered condolences. The violence underscores the persistent security challenges facing Africa’s most populous nation as it battles insurgencies on multiple fronts.
