BREAKING: Tinubu Deploys Army Battalion to Kwara After Over 160 Killed in Village Attack

​President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara State following a brutal attack by gunmen that left over 160 people feared dead, marking one of Nigeria’s deadliest incidents in recent months.

The massacre occurred late Tuesday in Woro village, shortly after the military conducted operations in the area against what it described as terrorist elements. The assailants reportedly stormed the community in the evening, setting shops and the palace of the traditional ruler ablaze, while residents fled into nearby bushes to escape the violence.

According to Babaomo Ayodeji, Kwara State secretary of the Red Cross, the death toll has risen to 162, with search efforts still ongoing. Police have confirmed the attack but have yet to release an official casualty figure.

Initial reports varied widely. A local lawmaker, Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, earlier estimated between 35 and 40 deaths, warning that the figure would rise as wounded residents were found. The state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, later placed the number of fatalities at 75, highlighting the confusion that often follows attacks in remote rural areas.

While no group has claimed responsibility, the Kwara State government blamed terrorist cells, and President Tinubu directly linked the attack to Boko Haram jihadists. In a strongly worded statement, the president condemned what he described as a “beastly attack” on civilians who had rejected extremist ideology.

The President expressed outrage that innocent villagers were killed for refusing indoctrination,” the statement said.

The violence in Kwara reflects Nigeria’s wider security crisis, as different regions battle armed banditry, kidnapping-for-ransom, intercommunal clashes, and jihadist insurgency. In a separate incident the same day, suspected bandits killed 23 civilians in Katsina State, reportedly in retaliation for air force strikes that eliminated dozens of militants.

Military Escalation and Rising Jihadist Threat

Nigeria’s military has recently intensified operations across several hotspots. Last month, it announced coordinated offensives in Kwara State, claiming to have neutralised around 150 bandits and destroyed multiple remote camps previously inaccessible to security forces.

Security analysts warn that the situation is growing more complex. The Al-Qaeda–linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which operates mainly in the Sahel, claimed its first-ever attack in Nigeria last year, also in Kwara. Experts suggest a loosely coordinated overlap between JNIM and Boko Haram, raising concerns about an evolving alliance.

In response to the latest violence, Kwara State authorities imposed curfews, temporarily closed schools, and later ordered their reopening earlier this week as security measures were adjusted.

The renewed bloodshed comes amid international attention on Nigeria’s insecurity, following claims by former US President Donald Trump of a “genocide” against Christians—an allegation strongly rejected by the Nigerian government and independent observers, who note that victims of the violence include both Christians and Muslims.

As troops move into Kwara, many Nigerians are once again left asking whether military escalation alone can bring lasting peace to communities caught in the crossfire.