At least 75 people were killed in an attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday night, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said Wednesday, as reports suggested the death toll could exceed 100. Several others were also reportedly killed in a separate attack by bandits in Abande community, Turan, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
Speaking at the palace of the Emir of Kaiama, AbdulRazaq said the victims were “local Muslims massacred for refusing to surrender to extremists preaching a strange doctrine.” He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the immediate deployment of an Army battalion to the area under Operation Savannah Shield to conduct counter-offensives.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by Lakurawa, an armed group linked to the Islamic State Sahel Province. Lawmaker Mohammed Bio, who represents the area in the House of Representatives, confirmed the assault but said casualty figures remained uncertain due to conflicting reports from the communities.
“There are conflicting reports about the killings. Some say about 100 people were killed, others say 160,” Bio said “These are reports coming from the communities, but we don’t have the exact figures. We are calling on the Federal Government to step in and assist us in protecting lives and property. The situation is quite devastating.”
Sources in the communities said about 70 people were buried in a mass grave in Woro on Wednesday afternoon. Residents said the attackers had previously moved through border villages in Niger State, preaching that locals should abandon Nigeria’s constitution and embrace Islamic law.
“When they brought the same message to Woro and Nuku, some people challenged them. That angered the bandits, and they opened fire on the gathering,” one source said. Another resident said the group had attempted to preach in Baburasa village in Borgu, Niger State, but were rejected by the village head.
Survivors recounted harrowing experiences. Alhaji Umar Tanko, head of Woro village, told the Kaiama council chairman that he lost his daughter and two sons, while his junior wife and two others were abducted. “I was in my shop when they arrived. They shot my children and took my second wife away,” he said. Another resident, Razaq Abdulazeez, said he narrowly escaped with his family, describing villagers climbing trees to evade attackers.
Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu called for intensified military action along the Niger border axis. Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central, urged deployment of more troops, describing the attack as a reminder of the need for stronger vigilance and community cooperation.
The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party condemned the attack as “despicable and inhuman,” warning that the state needed decisive leadership to tackle insecurity.
The assault is part of a growing wave of banditry and extremist attacks across north-central Nigeria. In the past four weeks, roughly 271 people have been killed and 253 abducted in several states, including Niger, Kaduna, Kwara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara. Notably, at least 177 church worshippers were abducted in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, while other attacks claimed dozens of lives in Kasuwan Daji Market (Niger State), Damala village, and Doma community in Katsina State.
Former Kwara Governor Bukola Saraki condemned the attack, calling it a “national disaster” that exceeded the capacity of the state government. In a Facebook post, Saraki urged President Tinubu to order direct federal intervention and the deployment of additional troops to troubled areas.
“The insurgents who are running away from security operations in other North-Central states should not be allowed to find a comfort zone in Kwara,” Saraki wrote. “Kwara State is too strategic to this country—it serves as a bridge between the North and Southwest and shares an international border with the Republic of Benin. Strong federal action is required to deter these assailants.”
