The Nigerian Red Cross has confirmed that at least 162 people were killed in a brutal attack on Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State late Tuesday, marking one of the deadliest single incidents in the country in recent months.
Kwara State Red Cross Secretary Babaomo Ayodeji updated the casualty figure to 162 on Wednesday afternoon, revising an earlier toll of 67 as search efforts for additional bodies continued in the affected communities.
The attack, which began around 6:00 pm on Tuesday, saw gunmen invade Woro, set shops and the palace of the traditional ruler ablaze, and carry out mass killings. Local politician Sa’idu Baba Ahmed told AFP that between 35 and 40 bodies were initially counted, but the toll rose significantly as more victims were discovered.
“Many others escaped into the bush with gunshots,” Ahmed said, adding that the traditional ruler, Alhaji Salihu Umar, remained missing.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq earlier confirmed 75 deaths during a visit to the area on Wednesday, describing the victims as “local Muslims massacred for refusing to surrender to extremists preaching a strange doctrine.” He attributed the assault to terrorist cells frustrated by ongoing counterterrorism operations.
The governor announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion under “Operation Savannah Shield” to conduct counter-offensives and secure the region.
Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed the attack but said the exact casualty figure remained under verification, with investigations ongoing into reports of missing persons. Security forces have been deployed to the communities.
The assault occurred just four kilometres from a site targeted by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) in October 2025, prompting analysts to note a possible overlap in operational zones between JNIM and other extremist groups, including potential loose alliances with Boko Haram elements.
Broader Context
Parts of Nigeria continue to face escalating violence from armed gangs known as bandits—who carry out looting, kidnappings, and reprisal killings—alongside intercommunal clashes in central states and jihadist activity in the northeast and northwest.
In a related incident in Katsina State on the same day, suspected bandits killed 23 civilians in apparent reprisal for recent Air Force operations that reportedly neutralized 27 militants.
The military has intensified operations against terrorist elements in Kwara and surrounding border areas, claiming in late January to have neutralized around 150 bandits, destroyed hideouts, and degraded logistics networks.
Authorities in Kwara imposed curfews in certain areas and temporarily closed schools before ordering them reopened on Monday amid heightened security concerns.
The latest massacre has drawn renewed attention to Nigeria’s persistent insecurity challenges, which have been under international scrutiny following claims by U.S. President Donald Trump of targeted violence against Christians—claims rejected by the Nigerian government and many analysts, who note that victims include both Christians and Muslims across ethnic and religious lines.
The incident underscores the ongoing difficulties in containing armed groups operating along porous borders and in remote rural areas despite sustained military campaigns.
