Nearly 200 individuals have lost their lives in separate assaults carried out by armed individuals in isolated villages in central and northern Nigeria, as confirmed by a local lawmaker, residents, and law enforcement on Wednesday. Security forces are currently engaged in search and rescue operations while pursuing the perpetrators.
In central Kwara state, an attack on the Woro community on Tuesday resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 170 individuals, according to Saidu Baba Ahmed, the area’s lawmaker. This incident marked the deadliest assault in the region this year, near the border with Niger state, an increasingly targeted area by armed assailants involved in village raids, abductions, and livestock theft.
The assailants reportedly rounded up residents, bound their hands, and carried out executions. Pictures of the deceased were shared by Ahmed, although their authenticity has not been verified by Reuters. During the attack, villagers sought refuge in nearby bushland as the gunmen set fire to homes and shops.
Although police confirmed “scores were killed,” they did not provide a specific number. Ahmed mentioned that he was present in the village along with military personnel, recovering bodies and searching the surrounding areas for more victims. As of Wednesday morning, several individuals were still unaccounted for.
Residents recounted that the attackers demanded a shift from loyalty to the Nigerian state to Sharia Islamic law during a sermon. When the villagers resisted, the militants resorted to violence. The police and military have mobilized for a search-and-rescue operation, as confirmed by Kwara police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, who refrained from disclosing casualty figures.
The Red Cross secretary in Kwara state, Ayodeji Emmanuel Babaomo, reported that hundreds of men were involved in the attacks, resulting in numerous fatalities. However, due to the remote location, precise numbers were challenging to ascertain. The footage from the scene depicted bodies on the ground, some with bound hands, and burning structures.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq described the violence as a “cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” in response to ongoing military operations against extremist groups in the state. Nigeria continues to grapple with a multifaceted security crisis, including insurgency in the northeast, surging kidnappings, and intercommunal conflicts in various regions.
Member of Parliament Mohammed Omar Bio attributed the attacks in Woro and Nuku to the Lakurawa, an armed group linked to the Islamic State. However, researcher James Barnett suggested that a faction of Boko Haram was likely responsible for the massacres. The Nigerian military previously indicated that the Lakurawa has origins in neighboring Niger and intensified activities in Nigeria following a military coup in 2023.
In a separate incident in northern Katsina state, armed individuals killed at least 21 people, breaching a six-month peace agreement with the community. This event underscored the challenges faced by residents in Nigeria’s remote north, where some opt for peace deals with armed groups to avoid attacks by pooling resources for the bandits.
Recent attacks by armed extremists in northeastern Nigeria resulted in the deaths of at least 36 individuals. The country faces mounting pressure to enhance security following accusations by former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding insufficient protection of Christians amid Islamist assaults and mass abductions. U.S. forces conducted airstrikes on what they identified as terrorist targets on December 25, as part of collaborative efforts to bolster security.
Nigerian authorities assert cooperation with the U.S. to bolster security measures and reject claims of systematic persecution of Christians.