Tinubu Deploys Army Battalion to Kwara After Deadly Attack Kills Up to 162

Up to 162 people were killed when gunmen attacked Woro village in Kwara State, prompting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deploy an army battalion to the area. The attackers burned homes, shops and the traditional ruler’s palace, forcing residents to flee, while casualty figures continued to rise as more bodies were recovered. Authorities blamed terrorist groups, with the president linking the attack to Boko Haram, as Nigeria faces worsening insecurity marked by similar deadly attacks in other states.

Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the deployment of a full army battalion to Kwara State following a brutal attack by gunmen that left as many as 162 people dead, making it one of the deadliest incidents recorded in Nigeria in recent months. The decision comes as the federal government intensifies efforts to contain the spread of violent extremism and restore security in parts of the country increasingly affected by armed attacks.
The assault took place late on Tuesday night in Woro village, a rural community in Kwara State, only a few days after the Nigerian military launched security operations in the area aimed at flushing out suspected terrorist elements. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the attackers arrived in the evening and unleashed coordinated violence, setting fire to shops and homes, and destroying the palace of the community’s traditional ruler. The sudden and ferocious nature of the attack forced residents to flee in panic, with many escaping into nearby bushes and forested areas to avoid being killed.
The full scale of the human toll is still being determined, as casualty figures provided by different authorities have varied. Local officials say the number of fatalities has continued to rise as security personnel and search teams comb surrounding villages and hard-to-reach areas, recovering more bodies of victims who may have been killed while attempting to escape or who later succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack.
Although no armed group has claimed responsibility for the violence, the Kwara State government has accused terrorist cells of carrying out the massacre. President Tinubu has gone further by attributing the attack to Boko Haram jihadists. In a statement condemning the killings, the president described the incident as senseless and cruel, and directed the military and other security agencies to secure the affected communities. He said the victims were deliberately targeted because they refused to accept extremist ideology and stood against the influence of radical groups in their area.
The attack occurred against the backdrop of an intensified military campaign across Nigeria, as authorities struggle to curb persistent insecurity fueled by a mix of armed criminal gangs, jihadist insurgents, and recurring intercommunal violence. Large swathes of the country remain unstable, with civilians frequently bearing the brunt of clashes between security forces and non-state armed groups.
On the same day as the Kwara killings, another violent incident was reported in Katsina State, where suspected bandits killed at least 23 civilians. The attack was widely believed to be a reprisal for recent air force operations that targeted militant camps in the region, highlighting the cycle of violence and retaliation that continues to plague northern Nigeria.
As the security situation deteriorates, authorities have imposed curfews in parts of Kwara State in an effort to prevent further attacks and restore order. Schools have been temporarily closed, and residents have been urged to remain vigilant. At the same time, growing concern is being expressed by government officials and security analysts over the expanding reach of jihadist groups and their links to wider regional networks operating across Nigeria’s borders, raising fears of further instability if the threat is not swiftly contained.