The traditional leader of a village in western Nigeria has described the aftermath of a deadly attack carried out earlier this week by suspected jihadist fighters, which left more than 160 people dead and several others abducted.
Umar Bio Salihu, the 53-year-old chief of Woro village in Kwara state, said armed assailants arrived on Tuesday evening and opened fire on residents without warning. According to Salihu, the attackers burned roadside shops and homes, killing civilians in the process. Two of his sons were shot dead outside his house, while his wife and three daughters were taken away into nearby forested areas.
Salihu said he survived by hiding during the assault and later fled to the nearby town of Kaiama once the attackers withdrew. He said the violence continued through the night, ending in the early hours of Wednesday. When residents emerged at daybreak, he said, many bodies were discovered across the village.
Woro, which has a population of several thousand and is predominantly Muslim, is located near a forested zone that security officials say has been used as a base by armed groups. Local television footage aired after the attacks on Woro and the neighbouring village of Nuku showed extensive destruction, including burned buildings and bodies left in the open.
Authorities say information is still being gathered following what appears to be the deadliest attack in Nigeria so far this year. The Red Cross has reported a provisional death toll of 162, noting that recovery efforts are ongoing and the number could increase.
Salihu said the attackers had previously sent a message stating they intended to visit the village to preach. He said the violence began after residents failed to attend. Other villagers told Reuters that armed groups had previously visited the area to promote rejection of the Nigerian state and the adoption of Islamic law.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the incident, describing it as a “beastly attack,” and announced the deployment of an army battalion to the region. The government has attributed the assault to Islamist extremists, including Boko Haram, though the name is often used broadly to refer to various jihadist factions operating in the country.
Amnesty International’s Nigeria office described the incident as a serious failure of security, adding to concerns over Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with armed violence. The country faces a long-running jihadist insurgency in the north-east and north-west, alongside widespread criminal activity such as mass kidnappings and looting by armed groups commonly referred to as bandits.
Security analysts warn that Kwara state is increasingly vulnerable as armed groups expand beyond their traditional strongholds. James Barnett, a researcher at the Hudson Institute, told the Associated Press that growing competition among militant groups is pushing them into new areas.
Among the groups active in Nigeria are two with links to the Islamic State: the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which emerged from Boko Haram, and the lesser-known Islamic State Sahel Province, locally referred to as Lakurawa. Nigerian military officials have previously said Lakurawa originated in neighbouring Niger and increased its activity in border communities following a military coup there in 2023.
Kwara shares a border with Niger state, which has seen a rise in attacks and mass abductions by armed groups, including ISWAP. Analysts say instability across borders has contributed to the spread of violence.
Nigeria’s security situation has drawn heightened international attention in recent months after former US president Donald Trump alleged that Christians were facing genocide in the country. Nigerian authorities and independent experts have rejected the claim, noting that victims of violence include both Christians and Muslims.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, police said at least 13 people were killed by unidentified gunmen in Doma village in the north-western state of Katsina, underscoring the continuing insecurity across multiple regions of the country.
