KEY POINTS

• At least 162 people were killed in Woro village, Kwara State, in Nigeria’s deadliest attack of 2026 so far.

• Survivors say gunmen tied up residents, executed them, and burned homes after villagers rejected demands to submit to sharia.

• The massacre highlights Nigeria’s worsening security crisis despite ongoing military offensives and peace initiatives.

At least 162 people have been killed in a brutal attack on Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, in what aid workers describe as Nigeria’s deadliest armed assault so far in 2026.

The Kwara State secretary of the Red Cross, Babaomo Ayodeji, confirmed the casualty figure on Wednesday, noting that bodies were still being recovered hours after the assault. A local politician from the area, Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, said the death toll could be as high as 170, as security forces and volunteers combed surrounding bush paths for victims and survivors.

Nigerian police acknowledged that an attack occurred but declined to provide official casualty figures.

Gunmen Allegedly Rounded Up Villagers, Set Homes Ablaze

According to Ahmed, the attackers stormed the community on Tuesday, rounded up residents, tied their hands behind their backs and executed them at close range. Homes and small businesses were also set on fire, leaving large parts of the village in ruins.

“As I’m speaking to you now, I’m in the village along with military personnel, sorting dead bodies and combing the surrounding areas for more,” Ahmed said.

Many residents fled into nearby forests with gunshot wounds, while the whereabouts of several people, including the village’s traditional ruler, remained unknown as of Wednesday afternoon.

Survivors told reporters that the attackers were jihadists who had previously visited the village to preach. They reportedly demanded that residents abandon allegiance to the Nigerian state and submit to Islamic law.

When villagers resisted, the militants allegedly opened fire during a sermon, triggering mass panic and carnage.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the assault was carried out by jihadist groups or by criminal gangs commonly referred to as bandits, who operate widely across northern and north-central Nigeria.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq strongly condemned the massacre, describing it as “a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” facing pressure from ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

Kwara shares borders with Niger State, an area increasingly targeted by armed groups. The Nigerian military has conducted recent operations in the region against what it describes as terrorist elements.

Last month, the army announced it had launched sustained coordinated offensives in Kwara State, claiming that dozens of fighters were killed and multiple camps destroyed.