Individuals pray beside the our bodies of victims of a terror assault earlier than their burial at Woro neighborhood, after an in a single day assault by gunmen that killed dozens of residents, in Kaiama Native Authorities Space of Kwara State, Nigeria, February 4, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deployed a military battalion to a troubled State after gunmen killed as many as 162 individuals in one of many nation’s deadliest assaults in current months.
The assault late Tuesday (February 4, 2026) on Woro village in Kwara State got here after the navy just lately carried out operations within the space towards what it known as “terrorist parts”.
Gunmen burned outlets, and a standard ruler’s dwelling, and wounded individuals fled into the bushes, Babaomo Ayodeji, Kwara State secretary of the Purple Cross, advised AFP.
“Stories stated that the loss of life toll now stands at 162, because the seek for extra our bodies continues,” Mr. Ayodeji stated.
The assault was confirmed by police who didn’t give a casualty determine.
Earlier, a neighborhood lawmaker Sa’idu Baba Ahmed gave an preliminary toll of 35-40 lifeless however stated extra our bodies could be discovered as many wounded individuals had fled into the bush. The governor of the west-central state AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq gave a toll of 75 lifeless.
Conflicting accounts usually emerge after assaults in rural areas.
No group claimed duty, however the State authorities blamed “terrorist cells”, and Mr. Tinubu blamed the assault on Boko Haram jihadists.
Components of Nigeria are tormented by armed gangs who loot villages and kidnap for ransom, in addition to intercommunal violence in central states and jihadist teams which might be energetic within the north.
Ordering a battalion to safe the realm, Tinubu condemned the “beastly assault” that he stated was carried out towards villagers who had rejected the jihadists’ ideology.
“President Tinubu expressed rage that the attackers killed the neighborhood members who rejected their obnoxious try at indoctrination,” a Presidential assertion stated.
The gunmen invaded Woro at round 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Tuesday and set “outlets and the king’s palace ablaze”, stated lawmaker Ahmed.
In a separate assault Tuesday in northern Katsina state, bandits had been suspected of killing 23 civilians in reprisal for air drive operations which killed 27 “militants”, in keeping with a safety report ready for the United Nations.
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In Woro, Ahmed stated the standard king’s whereabouts had been unknown. The king was named by the Purple Cross official as Alhaji Salihu Umar.
Nigeria has many conventional kings, emirs and rulers who maintain no political workplace however wield nice native and cultural affect.
The Nigerian navy has intensified operations towards jihadists and the armed bandits. Final month, the navy stated it had launched “sustained coordinated offensive operations towards terrorist parts” in Kwara state.
Native media reported that the military had “neutralised” 150 bandits.
“Troops additionally stormed distant camps hitherto inaccessible to safety forces the place a number of deserted camps and logistics enablers had been destroyed considerably degrading the terrorists,” the navy stated in a January 30 assertion.
Jihadist assaults intensified final yr in Nigeria. The highly effective Al-Qaeda affiliated Group for the Assist of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed duty for its first assault in Nigeria, in Kwara state.
JNIM operates throughout Nigeria’s northern border in Niger.
Researcher Brant Philip stated the most recent raid occurred very close to the positioning JNIM attacked final October, suggesting a “direct overlap” between JNIM and Boko Haram, with the teams showing to have a “free alliance”.
In response to the most recent safety woes, Kwara state imposed curfews in sure areas and closed faculties for a number of weeks earlier than ordering them to reopen on Monday.
Insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation has been underneath intense scrutiny in current months since US President Donald Trump alleged a “genocide” of Nigerian Christians.
The declare has been rejected by the federal government and lots of unbiased consultants, who say Christians and Muslims have been killed within the nation’s violence, usually with out distinction.
Revealed – February 05, 2026 09:27 pm IST