More than 160 people have been killed in coordinated attacks on two villages in western Nigeria, marking the deadliest armed assaults in the country this year. The assaults took place on Tuesday in Woro and Nuku, located in Kwara state, according to local politician Mohammed Omar Bio.
The Lakurawa, an armed group affiliated with Islamic State, is believed to be responsible for the attacks, though no group has claimed responsibility. Witnesses reported that gunmen rounded up residents, bound their hands behind their backs, and shot them, before torching homes and shops. Many villagers fled into the bush with gunshot wounds, and the traditional king of one village remains missing.
Residents told Reuters that the attackers were jihadists who had been preaching in the village, demanding locals abandon allegiance to the Nigerian state and adopt sharia law. When villagers resisted, the militants opened fire during a sermon. Amnesty International reported over 170 killed and said the gunmen had been sending warning letters for five months.
Kwara state governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq described the attack as a cowardly act by terrorist cells frustrated by ongoing counter-terrorism operations. Kwara borders Niger state, which has seen increasing activity from armed groups. The Nigerian military has intensified operations against jihadists and bandits, but security lapses remain a concern.
Nigeria faces multiple security crises, including a jihadist insurgency in the north-east and north-west, banditry, and intercommunal violence. The Lakurawa group, part of Islamic State Sahel Province, has become more active since a 2023 coup in neighbouring Niger. In a separate attack on Tuesday, gunmen killed 13 people in Katsina state.
