Nearly 200 individuals have lost their lives in separate assaults by armed individuals in remote villages across central and northern Nigeria, as reported by a local lawmaker, residents, and police on Wednesday. In central Kwara state, the Woro community was attacked by gunmen on Tuesday, resulting in a minimum of 170 casualties, according to the area’s legislator, Saidu Baba Ahmed. This incident marks the deadliest attack in the region this year, bordering Niger state, an area increasingly targeted by armed assailants engaging in village raids, resident abductions, and livestock theft.
The attackers reportedly rounded up residents, tied their hands behind their backs, and carried out executions. Villagers sought refuge in the surrounding bushland during the assault while the gunmen set homes and shops ablaze. Although the exact number of casualties was not provided by the police, scores were confirmed dead. Military personnel, along with Ahmed, were present in the village conducting search, rescue, and recovery operations, with several individuals still reported missing as of Wednesday morning.
Residents recounted that during a sermon, the gunmen demanded the locals renounce their loyalty to the Nigerian state in favor of Sharia Islamic law. When met with resistance, the militants resorted to gunfire. The police and military have mobilized for a search-and-rescue mission in the area, although official casualty figures were not disclosed.
In a separate attack in Katsina state in northern Nigeria, at least 21 individuals were killed by gunmen who went from house to house shooting their victims. This incident marked a breach of a six-month peace agreement between the community and the armed group, underscoring the predicament faced by residents in Nigeria’s remote north, where some opt for peace with the criminal groups terrorizing them by providing them with resources to avoid attacks.
The security situation in Nigeria remains complex, characterized by Islamic militant insurgency in the northeast, a surge in kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and north-central regions, and intercommunal violence in central states. While a Red Cross official mentioned hundreds of men being involved in the attacks, the exact numbers remain uncertain due to the region’s remoteness. The violence has been described as a “cowardly expression of frustration” by terrorist cells in response to ongoing military operations against armed extremists in the state.
Allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State group, the Lakurawa armed group was said to be responsible for the attacks by a member of parliament, but a researcher suggested that a faction of Boko Haram was more probable. The Nigerian military previously linked Lakurawa’s activities to neighboring Niger following a military coup in 2023.
As the Nigerian government faces pressure to enhance security following accusations of failing to protect Christians by U.S. President Donald Trump, efforts are being made to collaborate with the U.S. to improve security measures and counter systematic persecution claims.