At least 167 people were killed Tuesday evening when gunmen attacked two rural villages in western Nigeria, according to the Nigerian Red Cross, marking one of the deadliest recent assaults outside the country’s traditional conflict zones.
The attack targeted the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara State, near the Benin border, reports the Associated Press. Authorities said the gunmen carried out executions and set homes, shops, and other structures on fire before fleeing the area. No group has formally claimed responsibility,
Access to the villages has been limited due to their remoteness, slowing down efforts and complicating confirmation of the death toll. The Red Cross said responders encountered significant difficulty reaching the sites. Video from the aftermath showed bodies lying in open areas, some with their hands bound, alongside widespread destruction and burned buildings.
Amnesty International estimated the death toll at more than 170, citing extensive looting and arson. The Kwara State government confirmed the attacks but has not released details on the identities of the victims or named those responsible. It is not clear how many of the victims were Christians.
Analysts and residents said the attackers may have been linked to a faction of Boko Haram or Lakurawa, a group aligned with the Islamic State, though no official confirmation has been made.
Survivors said residents hid as gunmen moved through the villages, executing people and burning property before withdrawing. Afterward, villagers began collecting the dead, with numbers rising as searches continued. Families said some victims were killed while working on farms, underscoring the sudden nature of the assault, reports Reuters.
Amnesty International said villagers had received warning letters for months prior to the attack and described the failure to prevent it. Kwara State’s governor characterized the killings as retaliatory violence by terrorist cells under pressure from counterterrorism operations.
The attack comes amid a wider security crisis across Nigeria, including Islamist insurgency in the northeast, mass kidnappings in the northwest and central regions, and repeated large-scale attacks by armed groups. In recent years, militants have expanded into parts of Kwara State, including protected areas, where they extort farming and fishing communities and carry out kidnappings. Christians have been targeted in attacks across the country.
US Africa Command recently confirmed that a small team of US military officers was sent to Nigeria following earlier US airstrikes on Islamic State–affiliated militants. Nigeria has also faced diplomatic pressure from President Donald Trump, who has accused the government of failing to protect vulnerable communities.
The attack targeted the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara State, near the Benin border, reports the Associated Press. Authorities said the gunmen carried out executions and set homes, shops, and other structures on fire before fleeing the area. No group has formally claimed responsibility,
Access to the villages has been limited due to their remoteness, slowing down efforts and complicating confirmation of the death toll. The Red Cross said responders encountered significant difficulty reaching the sites. Video from the aftermath showed bodies lying in open areas, some with their hands bound, alongside widespread destruction and burned buildings.
Amnesty International estimated the death toll at more than 170, citing extensive looting and arson. The Kwara State government confirmed the attacks but has not released details on the identities of the victims or named those responsible. It is not clear how many of the victims were Christians.
Analysts and residents said the attackers may have been linked to a faction of Boko Haram or Lakurawa, a group aligned with the Islamic State, though no official confirmation has been made.
Survivors said residents hid as gunmen moved through the villages, executing people and burning property before withdrawing. Afterward, villagers began collecting the dead, with numbers rising as searches continued. Families said some victims were killed while working on farms, underscoring the sudden nature of the assault, reports Reuters.
Amnesty International said villagers had received warning letters for months prior to the attack and described the failure to prevent it. Kwara State’s governor characterized the killings as retaliatory violence by terrorist cells under pressure from counterterrorism operations.
The attack comes amid a wider security crisis across Nigeria, including Islamist insurgency in the northeast, mass kidnappings in the northwest and central regions, and repeated large-scale attacks by armed groups. In recent years, militants have expanded into parts of Kwara State, including protected areas, where they extort farming and fishing communities and carry out kidnappings. Christians have been targeted in attacks across the country.
US Africa Command recently confirmed that a small team of US military officers was sent to Nigeria following earlier US airstrikes on Islamic State–affiliated militants. Nigeria has also faced diplomatic pressure from President Donald Trump, who has accused the government of failing to protect vulnerable communities.
