Terrorists kill 162 villagers in Kwara according to reports, sparking fresh fears over escalating jihadist violence moving deeper into western Nigeria.

Terrorists have killed at least 162 people in Kwara State, marking Nigeria’s deadliest armed attack so far this year, according to a Red Cross official and local authorities.

The assault occurred on Tuesday in Woro village in Kwara state. Babaomo Ayodeji, the state secretary of the Red Cross, said the confirmed death toll stood at 162 by Wednesday afternoon, according to AFP. A local politiciantold Reuters the figure is higher, estimating that up to 170 people may have been killed.

Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, a politician in the Kaiama region, also told Reuters that the terrorists rounded up residents, tied their hands behind their backs and executed them. He said homes and shops were also set ablaze. “I am in the village along with military personnel, sorting dead bodies and searching nearby areas,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed added that many villagers fled into surrounding bushland with gunshot wounds, while several residents, including the village’s traditional ruler, remain missing.

Residents said the attackers were jihadists who regularly preached in the village and demanded residents abandon allegiance to the Nigerian state in favour of Sharia law. When villagers resisted, the gunmen opened fire during a sermon, they said.

Police have acknowledged the attack but have yet to release official casualty figures.

Kwara state governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the killings, describing them as “a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” responding to intensified counter-terrorism operations in the state.

Kwara borders Niger state, an area increasingly affected by armed gangs. The Nigerian military recently reported operations against what it described as terrorist elements in the region.

Nigeria continues to face overlapping security crises, including jihadist insurgencies in the north-east and north-west, widespread kidnappings by bandit groups, and persistent intercommunal violence in central states.

The surge in insecurity has drawn international attention, with US Africa Command confirming the deployment of a small military team to Nigeria to enhance cooperation, even as critics accuse authorities of failing to prioritise public safety. (AriseNews TV)

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