Gunmen from the Lakurawa group, an armed jihadist faction affiliated with the Islamic State Sahel Province (also known as Islamic State in the Greater Sahara), carried out a brutal coordinated attack on the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday evening, February 3, 2026.
The assailants, who have roots in neighboring Niger and increased operations in Nigeria’s border regions following the 2023 coup there, stormed the communities, rounded up residents, bound their hands, and executed many in a targeted manner.
They set homes, shops, and the local traditional ruler’s palace on fire, forcing survivors to flee into surrounding forests amid heavy gunfire. The traditional ruler’s whereabouts remain unknown.Initial reports from Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq cited 75 people massacred in what he called a “cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” following recent military counterterrorism operations.
However, the death toll has risen sharply, with a local lawmaker representing the area, Mohammed Omar Bio, stating at least 162 people were killed as of Wednesday afternoon. Red Cross officials in Kwara confirmed the figure of 162, noting ongoing searches in remote areas—about eight hours from the state capital and near the Benin border—for additional bodies, suggesting the number could rise further.
Nigeria President Bola Tinubu condemned the assault and initially blamed Boko Haram, ordering swift military deployment. An army battalion has since secured the villages to restore order and prevent reprisals. Residents described the attackers as jihadists who had previously preached in the communities, demanding villagers renounce allegiance to the Nigerian state and adopt Sharia law, with the raid seen as possible retaliation for prior security actions against extremist elements.
This devastating jihadist attack in Kwara highlights the southward expansion of extremist threats in Nigeria, where groups like Lakurawa—distinct from but sometimes overlapping with Boko Haram factions—are extending violence from northwest hotspots into north-central regions. Authorities have urged enhanced federal support amid fears of intensified incursions in border communities.
