Gunmen kill nearly 200 in Kwara and Katsina

Armed assailants have killed close to 200 people in separate attacks across western and northern Nigeria, officials and local residents have confirmed, leaving communities in mourning as security forces intensify search operations.

In Kwara State, gunmen invaded Woro community on Tuesday evening, killing at least 170 residents in what local authorities describe as one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent months. In a separate incident in Katsina State, attackers went from house to house, killing at least 21 people, residents and police said.

According to Saidu Baba Ahmed, the lawmaker representing the affected area in Kwara, the attackers reportedly rounded up villagers, tied their hands behind their backs, and executed them before setting homes and businesses ablaze.

“I am currently in the village with military personnel, retrieving bodies and searching nearby bushes for more victims,” Ahmed said on Wednesday. He added that several people were still unaccounted for.

While police confirmed that “scores were killed,” they did not provide an official death toll. Kwara Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said security agencies have deployed personnel for rescue and recovery operations.

Footage broadcast by local television stations showed lifeless bodies on the ground some with hands bound and burning buildings across the community.

Amnesty International condemned the attack, saying more than 170 people were killed, homes were destroyed, and shops looted. The rights group also claimed that gunmen had issued warnings to the villagers for over five months before the assault.

The attack occurred amid heightened military operations in Kwara aimed at eliminating armed groups. Authorities had recently imposed curfews and shut down schools in parts of the state due to security concerns.

Kwara Governor Abdul Rahman Abdul Razaq described the killings as a retaliatory attack by “terrorist cells” frustrated by ongoing military offensives. The Nigerian military last month announced it had neutralized at least 150 fighters in operations across the region.

Residents of Woro suspect that the attackers are linked to Boko Haram or ISIL-affiliated groups, a pattern seen in areas experiencing intensified military activity.

Meanwhile, in Katsina State, the killing of 21 people marked the collapse of a six-month peace agreement between local residents and a bandit group. The incident underscores the precarious situation faced by communities that often pay armed groups for protection to avoid violence.

Security analyst Kabir Adamu criticized the government’s response, saying that while some bandit leaders have been killed or arrested, security forces have not established sufficient control to prevent future attacks.

As Nigeria continues to grapple with insurgency, banditry, and kidnappings, analysts warn that stronger security measures are needed to protect vulnerable communities.