Dozens Killed in Kwara as Villagers Reject Jihadists, Governor Says

Dozens of people were killed in an attack on two villages in Nigeria’s western state of Kwara after residents refused to submit to extremists promoting a hardline doctrine, according to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. The governor said “75 local Muslims were massacred” during Tuesday’s raid, as accounts from officials and responders suggest the toll could be significantly higher as recovery efforts continue as reported by BBC News.

A Kwara state lawmaker, Saidu Baba Ahmed, told reporters that at least 78 people had been buried and that the death toll could rise further as bodies are retrieved from the surrounding area. A Red Cross official in the state also cited reports placing the toll above 160, while rights group Amnesty International said more than 170 people may have died, describing victims as shot at close range and, in some cases, burned.

The attacks struck the villages of Woro and Nuku, where residents reported that homes and shops were set on fire and families fled into nearby areas. Ahmed said 38 people were abducted, adding that the assault lasted several hours after it began in the late afternoon. A local resident, Abdulla Umar Usman, said the attack started after 17:00 local time and continued for three to four hours, leaving parts of the community destroyed.

“They wanted to preach” and residents resisted

In public comments and interviews, local officials framed the violence as retaliation for the communities’ refusal to accept jihadist demands. Ahmed said extremist fighters had sent word ahead of time, claiming they intended to “preach,” but villagers rejected the message and mobilized local security efforts. He added that militant activity had been gradually increasing in parts of Kwara in recent months.

Because the affected area is remote, details remain difficult to independently confirm, including the precise death toll and the full sequence of events. Even so, the broad contours of the attack mass casualties, arson, and abductions have been consistently reported by local officials and humanitarian sources.

Federal response: troop deployment and blame on Boko Haram

President Bola Tinubu blamed Boko Haram for the attack and announced the deployment of an army battalion to the area. The governor later suggested the raid may have been designed to draw security forces away from counter-terror operations targeting armed groups in the region, arguing that recent operations had pressured “terrorist and kidnapping gangs.”

Nigeria’s security agencies have faced longstanding criticism for failing to prevent mass-casualty attacks, especially in rural areas where response times can be slow and local protection groups are often outgunned. Amnesty International called for an investigation and said there was a serious absence of protection for civilians.

A wider spike in attacks across multiple states

The Kwara killings were not isolated. In the same period, Amnesty International reported additional deadly attacks in other parts of the country, including incidents in Katsina in the north and Borno in the northeast Boko Haram’s historical epicenter. The clustering of incidents highlights how Nigeria’s security crisis spans multiple threat types, from jihadist violence to criminal kidnapping gangs and intercommunal clashes.

Kwara, which sits outside the core conflict zone of the northeast, has increasingly been described by officials and analysts as an emerging hotspot. Recent reporting has pointed to jihadist factions and armed groups expanding or shifting operations into areas perceived to have lighter security footprints.

International dimension: Nigeria acknowledges US support role

The attacks also come as Nigeria has publicly acknowledged a US troop presence focused on support functions, following comments from Nigerian officials and US Africa Command leadership that the deployment was requested by Nigeria and centered on intelligence support.

While the US and Nigeria have worked together on training and security assistance for decades, reporting in recent months has highlighted a deeper operational tempo, including expanded support to counter-insurgency efforts. For broader context on Nigeria’s security pressures and rights concerns, Amnesty International has also documented mounting civilian harm tied to armed-group violence and gaps in civilian protection.

What remains unclear

Key questions remain unanswered: which armed group carried out the raid, whether the attackers are directly linked to Boko Haram or a splinter faction, and how many victims are still unaccounted for. No group has publicly claimed responsibility in the reporting cited. Meanwhile, casualty figures vary widely among official statements, humanitarian reports, and rights group estimates.

What is clear, based on the accounts available so far, is that Woro and Nuku experienced a large-scale attack involving mass killings, abductions, and arson, and that authorities are now responding with additional troop deployments as recovery efforts continue.

Source: BBC News