KAIAMA — In the deadliest assault recorded this year, suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed at least 170 people in the remote community of Woro, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. The massacre, which began around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and lasted for several hours, occurred approximately five months after the group sent a formal warning letter to the community’s leadership.
A Predictable Tragedy: The Five-Month WarningÂ
The assault was not unexpected by local leaders. About five months prior to the massacre, the group sent a letter to the district head of Woro, Salihu Umar, notifying him of their intention to “come and preach” in the community. The district head forwarded this letter to the Kwara State Emirate Council in Ilorin, which prompted a temporary deployment of soldiers to the area.
However, the military team withdrew after a few weeks when no attack immediately followed. Amnesty International has condemned the resulting “unacceptable security lapses,” noting that the attackers had been sending these warning letters for months without a sustained protective response.
Details of the Assault
Survivors and eyewitnesses described a night of absolute terror. Heavily armed gunmen stormed Woro and the neighbouring village of Nuku, rounding up residents and binding their hands behind their backs before executing them. Many victims were shot at close range, while others were reportedly burnt alive as the attackers razed homes, shops, and the palace of the district head.
The motive for the mass execution reportedly stems from the community’s resistance to extremist indoctrination. Residents told Reuters that the militants opened fire during a sermon after villagers refused to ditch their allegiance to the Nigerian state and switch to Sharia Islamic law.
Casualties and Search Efforts
As of Wednesday evening, search teams were still recovering bodies from the surrounding bushland where many had fled during the raid. While the Red Cross put the initial death toll at 162, Amnesty International and local lawmakers have confirmed that the number of deceased has risen past 170. An unspecified number of women and children were also abducted during the attack.
The district head of Woro remains missing. Relief efforts have been severely hampered by the community’s remote location, which is approximately eight hours from the state capital and near the border with Benin.
National and International Response
President Bola Tinubu has described the attack as “cowardly and barbaric,” praising the community for refusing to be conscripted into a “warped ideology.” In response to the massacre, the President ordered the immediate deployment of an army battalion to Kwara to lead “Operation Savannah Shield,” aimed at flushing out the attackers.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq characterized the incident as a “cowardly expression of frustration” by terrorist cells in response to recent military offensives. The attack coincides with the first public acknowledgement from the Nigerian government of a U.S. military presence in the country, with a small team of American troops reportedly providing intelligence and training to help tackle Islamist militant groups.
