2026 Kwara State attacks

Last updated
2026 Kwara State attacks
Part of the Boko Haram insurgency
Location 9°44′20″N4°10′37″E / 9.739°N 4.177°E / 9.739; 4.177
Nuku and Woro, Kwara State, Nigeria
Date3–4 February 2026
~17:30 – 03:00 WAT
Attack type
 Massacre, mass shooting, arson, kidnapping
Deaths162–200+
Injured50+
Victims38 kidnapped
Perpetrators Boko Haram (per Hudson Institute, Tinubu)
Lakurawa (per Omar Bio)
MotiveVillagers rejecting sharia law

On 3 February 2026, hundreds of Islamist militants attacked the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara State, Nigeria, killing at least 162 residents. The attack was conducted after village residents rejected the militants' demand to adopt Sharia law, and saw the burning of several buildings and the kidnapping of several people. Reports on the allegiance of the perpetrators differed, with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu blaming Boko Haram and local Parliament member Mohammed Omar Bio blaming the Islamic State-linked Lakurawa. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Nigeria in months. Nigerian sources labelled the event the Kwara massacre. [1] [2]

Contents

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Attack location on a map of Nigeria

Attacks

Prelude

The attackers were reportedly jihadists based in forests around the Borgu region who previously preached in Woro and had ordered residents to embrace Sharia. They had earlier preached in border villages in Niger State, encouraging residents to embrace Sharia and reject the Nigerian constitution. [1] Amnesty International reported that they sent letter and pamphlets to Woro two weeks prior to the attack. [3] The attackers sent another letter to the village's head five months prior, informing him that they intended to preach in the village. The Ilorin council was informed of the letter and requested that soldiers be deployed to Woro, however they withdrew after a few weeks. [4] The last warning letter, delivered in January, was addressed by Boko Haram under its formal name and its leader in Lake Chad, Bakura Doro. [5]

Attack

The attack on Nuku and Woro, neighboring, predominately Muslim [6] villages in Kaiama, Kwara, [1] near the Beninese border, began at 17:30 WAT. [7] [8] It lasted several hours and extended into 03:00 in the following morning. [4] [9] Hundreds of gunmen were present, according to a local Red Cross official. [10] They were armed with explosives, AK-47s, and pump action weapons, and had surrounded the village, blocking its exits. [11] The attackers began firing after villagers rejected their demands. [12]

The attackers, who rode motorbikes, moved door-to-door, executing residents and setting fire to buildings. [13] They also fired at motorists along a federal highway that passed into the area. Between 18:30 and 20:00, the attack entered an "execution phase", where the killings escalated. [11] A local politician said that gunmen gathered people together and bounded their hands before executing them. Amnesty said that the attackers had "free rein" during the attack, rounding up and massacring young men and entire families and looting shops. [3] A military aircraft hovered over the site at around 20:00, prompting the attackers to retreat. Residents began emerging an hour later, and the attackers, after regrouping, called for prayers at a mosque as a ruse, killing people who showed up. [14] The massacre continued until 02:00 the following morning. Soldiers arrived an hour later, although the attackers had already fled. [11]

The attackers also burned down homes, shops, and a palace belonging to the Woro's traditional king, Alhaji Salihu Umar. The attackers targeted Umar's home, who they had written their letters to. He survived the attack since he was not present at the time, but the attackers ended up killing or kidnapping members of his family instead. [14] Approximately 38 homes were destroyed. [15] The fate of several people remained unknown. Many residents fled into the surrounding bushland. [16] [17] A survivor said that residents who were unable to escape climbed treetops to survive. [18]

Casualties

Initial reports said that between 35 and 40 people were killed in the attack. [16] The death toll later rose to 162, according to Member of Parliament Mohammed Omar Bio and the Red Cross, [8] [17] with the latter adding that searches for additional bodies were ongoing. The attack was indiscriminate, with women and children among the dead. Also killed were the chief Imam of Woro, a school principal, a headmistress, and schoolchildren. [19] The death toll was later reported to had risen to over 200, as more bodies were recovered from the surrounding bushland. [20] A local said that around 95% of the dead were Muslim, and the rest were Christian. [11]

Amnesty said that many people were shot at close range and some were burnt alive or had their throats slit. [3] Some victims were mutilated. [21] It was the deadliest attack in Nigeria in 2026, [22] and according to the Critical Threats Project, the deadliest outside of northeast Nigeria to date and the deadliest jihadist attack of the decade. [5]

Thirty-eight people were abducted, mostly women and children. [9] Alhaji Umar Saliu Tanko, the village head of Woro, said that three of his children were killed and his wife and two others were kidnapped; [18] some kidnapped were transported in a stolen Jeep. [4] More than 50 people were hospitalized. [23]

Perpetrators

Omar Bio said that the attacks were conducted by the Islamic State-affiliated group Lakurawa, although no group took responsibility. [24] James Barnett of the Hudson Institute said that Boko Haram was responsible for other massacres in the area, and that it was the most likely the perpetrator. [25] President Bola Tinubu also blamed Boko Haram. [7] It was reported that a Boko Haram cell led by Sadiku was behind the attack. [a] [27]

Aftermath

Following the attacks, police officers and soldiers were mobilized to carry out search-and-rescue operations. [16] The Red Cross was not able to reach the villages, located in a remote region eight hours from the Kwara State capital. [8]

Nigerian president Bola Tinubu announced the launch of Operation Savanna Shield, which included the deployment of a battalion to Kwara State and the appointment of a field commander to oversee the operation. [28] [29] Tinubu said that the operation aimed to protect local villages and to "checkmate the barbaric terrorists". [30]

At least 78 bodies were recovered by residents and buried on 4 February. [28] The dead were buried in mass graves after funeral rites. [31] By 5 February, only around 20 men were left in villages to bury the dead. [13]

Reactions

President Tinubu called the attack "particularly disturbing" because the victims were killed for resisting "an attempt at forced indoctrination". He said the attackers were "heartless" and vowed that they would be brought to justice. [32] Kwara State governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq called it a "brutal and deliberate massacre" motivated by extremism rather than banditry. [33] He visited Woro and Nuku on 4 February, where he described the massacre as a genocide. [34] Ademola Adeleke, the governor of neighboring Osun State, gave his condolences to the victims and issued tightened security for border communities in his state. [35]

The United States Department of State condemned the "horrific" attack and offered its condolences. [36] Turkey also condemned the attack and vowed to continue supporting Nigeria in its operations against terrorism. [37] United Nations secretary-general António Guterres gave his "heartfelt condolences" and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. [38] The African Union and countries including Germany and Benin also issued statements of solidarity. [39]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sadiku is the alias of cell leader Abubakar Saidu. [26]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kwara massacre: FG faces heat as 100 feared dead". Punch Newspapers. 2026-02-04. Archived from the original on 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  2. ↑ Nda-Isaiah, Jonathan (4 February 2026). "Kwara Massacre: Tinubu Orders Army Battalion To Move Into Kaiama". Leadership Nigeria. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Ayodele, Aduwo (2026-02-04). "Bandits killing 200 Nigerians is of low priority to Tinubu: Amnesty International". Peoples Gazette Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  4. 1 2 3 Mohammed, Yakubu (2026-02-04). "Five months after warning letter, Boko Haram attacks Kwara community, kills 170, abducts women and children". Premium Times. ISSN   2360-7688. Archived from the original on 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  5. 1 2 "Boko Massacre in Nigeria; Ethiopia on the Brink; M23 Drone Attack; IS Attacks Niamey: Africa File, February 5, 2026". Critical Threats. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  6. ↑ Adeyeye, Oluwafemi (2026-02-05). "Kwara massacre: Tinubu orders army battalion to Kaiama LG". The Witness Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  7. 1 2 "Nigeria gunmen in deadly attack on Kwara villages as US military team's deployment confirmed". www.bbc.com. 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  8. 1 2 3 "Nigeria: Extremists kill over 100 in western villages". dw.com. Archived from the original on 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  9. 1 2 "'Burned inside their houses': Nigerians recount horror of massacre". Ahram Online. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  10. ↑ "Attacks on civilians in central and northern Nigeria kill nearly 200". CBC. 4 February 2026. Archived from the original on 4 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Reporters, Our (2026-02-07). "Sadiku: Unmasking terrorist leader behind Kwara massacre". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  12. ↑ Ardo, Hazzad (4 February 2026). "Gunmen kill nearly 200 in Nigeria's Kwara and Katsina attacks". Reuters.
  13. 1 2 "Extremists massacred 162 people in a Nigerian village after issuing a call to prayer". The Independent. 2026-02-06. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  14. 1 2 "Kwara attack survivors in Nigeria: 'They sent a letter asking to preach. Then they massacred us'". BBC. 2026-02-06. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  15. ↑ Eboh, Camillus (5 February 2026). "Nigeria deploys troops after 170 killed in deadly Kwara village attack". Reuters. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 "Gunmen kill dozens of people, burn homes in remote Nigeria village". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  17. 1 2 Mureithi, Carlos; Egbejule, Eromo (2026-02-04). "Gunmen kill more than 160 people in attacks on two west Nigeria villages". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  18. 1 2 Azeez, Biola (2026-02-04). "Banditry: Survivors of Kwara attack narrate experiences". Tribune Online. Archived from the original on 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  19. ↑ "Dozens Killed, Emir Of Woro Missing As Terrorists Massacre Ruler's Wives, Children, Others In Kwara Community". Sahara Reporters. Archived from the original on 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  20. ↑ Abdulkabeer, Ambali (2026-02-06). "After killing hundreds of our people in one day, terrorists called us for prayer: Kwara Massacre Survivors". Peoples Gazette Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  21. ↑ Orjinmo, Nduka (4 February 2026). "Dozens of Villagers Killed in Attack in Central Nigeria". Bloomberg. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  22. ↑ "Nigeria : une attaque d'hommes armés fait 162 morts, « les recherches pour retrouver d'autres corps se poursuivent »". L'Humanité (in French). 2026-02-04. Archived from the original on 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  23. ↑ Akhimien, Nosakhale (2026-02-06). "Over 50 Kwara Attack Survivors Receive Treatment". Channels Television. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  24. ↑ "Islamic militants kill at least 162 people in attacks on 2 villages in Nigeria, lawmaker says". AP News. 2026-02-04. Archived from the original on 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  25. ↑ "Armed Islamist extremists kill 162 in western Nigeria villages". France 24. 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  26. ↑ "How a Boko Haram faction entrenched itself near Nigeria's capital". ISS Africa. Archived from the original on 2025-11-14. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  27. ↑ Yusuf, Ridwan Adeola (2026-02-05). "Boko Haram Kills 100 Kwara Residents Over Refusal to Accept Islamic Extremism, Details Emerge – Legit.ng". Legit Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  28. 1 2 "Tinubu orders army to move into Kaiama, condemns terrorist attack". Vanguard News. 2026-02-04. Archived from the original on 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  29. ↑ "Nigeria: President deploys troops after Kwara state attack". dw.com. Archived from the original on 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  30. ↑ "Nigeria sets up new military command to slow spread of Islamic militants after deadly attack". AP News. 2026-02-05. Archived from the original on 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  31. ↑ Meshioye, David (2026-02-05). "Kwara Killings: Victims, including village head's children, given mass burial". The Guardian Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  32. ↑ Oluwafemi, Ayodele (2026-02-06). "Tinubu: Perpetrators of Kwara killings won't go scot free". TheCable. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  33. ↑ Athekame, kenneth (2026-02-05). "Kwara killings linked to Islamist extremism, not banditry, kidnapping, says Gov. Abdulrazaq". Businessday NG. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  34. ↑ "Kwara Killing: Gov Abdulrazaq Visits Community, 75 Victims Buried". New Telegraph. 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  35. ↑ "Osun Governor Orders Heightened Border Security After Massacre In Neighbouring Kwara, Extends Condolences | Sahara Reporters". saharareporters.com. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  36. ↑ "Trump admin condemns 'horrific' Nigeria attack". Newsweek. 2026-02-06. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  37. ↑ "Türkiye condemns terrorist attack in Nigeria that killed at least 170". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  38. ↑ "UN chief slams terrorist attack in Kwara, calls for justice" . Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  39. ↑ "UN, African Union condemn terrorist attack in Nigeria that killed at least 170". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
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