At least 162 people have been killed in one of the deadliest attacks in recent months in Kwara State, Nigeria, according to the Red Cross.
The attack occurred late Tuesday in Woro village, west-central Nigeria, following recent military operations against what the army described as “terrorist elements” in the area.
Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed the death of 75 residents during a Wednesday night address at the palace of the Emir of Kaiama, stating that the victims were “local Muslims massacred for refusing to surrender to extremists preaching a strange doctrine.”
The governor said that President Bola Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion under Operation Savannah Shield to carry out counter-offensives against the attackers.
The Red Cross updated the death toll to 162, stating that the search for more bodies is ongoing. Earlier reports had put the number of casualties at 67. Local lawmaker Sa’idu Baba Ahmed told AFP that between 35 and 40 bodies were initially counted from the attack, with many others fleeing into the bush.
The gunmen reportedly invaded Woro village around 6:00 pm, burning shops and the traditional king’s palace. The Red Cross identified the king as Alhaji Salihu Umar, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The Nigerian police and state government confirmed the attack, blaming “terrorist cells” for the incident.
In a separate incident in Katsina State on Tuesday, suspected bandits killed 23 civilians, reportedly in reprisal for recent military operations that claimed the lives of 27 militants, according to a security report prepared for the United Nations.
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The Nigerian military has intensified operations against jihadists and armed bandits, claiming to have killed hundreds of fighters in recent months. On January 30, the army said it had “neutralised” 150 bandits in coordinated operations in Kwara State, destroying camps and logistics infrastructure to weaken their operational capacity.
Security analysts note that the latest raid occurred just four kilometres from a previous attack last October attributed to the Al-Qaeda affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), suggesting a potential overlap with Boko Haram activity zones.
In response to ongoing security threats, authorities in Kwara State had imposed curfews in certain areas and closed schools temporarily before reopening them on Monday.
Nigeria’s insecurity situation has drawn international attention in recent months, including allegations of targeted killings of Christians, which the government and independent experts have rejected, noting that both Christians and Muslims are victims of ongoing violence.