ILORIN: Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama district in Kwara State following an overnight attack by suspected jihadist fighters that reportedly left about 170 people dead, according to an official statement released Thursday.
The assault, which occurred Tuesday in Woro village, is considered the deadliest incident recorded in the state this year. Kwara, which borders Niger Republic, has increasingly become a flashpoint for violent attacks and kidnappings attributed to armed groups, including factions linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Security analysts warn that the violence may signal a gradual southward expansion of extremist groups from northern Nigeria along the Niger–Kwara corridor toward the Kainji forest, an area feared could become a new militant stronghold if left unchecked.
Nigeria has faced international scrutiny over security concerns, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump last year accused the country of failing to adequately protect Christian communities from Islamist violence and kidnappings.
The United States also carried out strikes on what it described as terrorist targets on December 25. Nigerian authorities, however, maintain there is no systematic religious persecution and say cooperation with Washington is ongoing to strengthen security efforts.
President Tinubu condemned the attack as cowardly and barbaric, stating that the victims were targeted for rejecting attempts by extremists to impose their ideology on the community.
He said the newly deployed troops are expected to prevent further violence and reassure residents in vulnerable rural areas.
It is commendable that community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a belief that promotes violence over peace, the president said in the statement.
Residents told reporters that suspected jihadists had previously visited the village preaching against allegiance to the Nigerian state and urging locals to adopt strict Sharia rule. When villagers refused, the attackers reportedly opened fire.
Local lawmaker Saidu Baba Ahmed said approximately 38 houses were destroyed during the assault.
Meanwhile, a separate attack in Katsina State on the same day left at least 21 people dead. According to residents and police sources, gunmen moved from house to house shooting victims in another incident highlighting the persistent insecurity affecting parts of northern Nigeria.
