Nigeria: gunmen kill at least 162 people in western state

The Red Cross has confirmed that at least 162 people have been killed by gunmen in Nigeria’s western Kwara state, as reported by Africanews via AFP on February 4th.

Babaomo Ayodeji, Kwara state secretary of the Red Cross, stated, “Reports said that the death toll now stands at 162, as the search for more bodies continues.”

It was originally reported that 67 people had been killed in the attack, which occurred on the evening of February 3rd at around 6 PM; a local lawmaker in the Kaiama region, Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, said that gunmen stormed the village of Woro and set fire to shops and the king’s palace.

Although it is currently unclear if a jihadist group was responsible for the attack, Islamist groups like Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State in Western Province (ISWAP), are active in the northern states, whereas intercommunal violence is prevalent in western states.

Both organisations seek to establish an Islamic Caliphate in Africa, which would be governed by Sharia Law; Boko Haram’s name roughly translates to “Western education is a sin.”

Boko Haram has been responsible for numerous attacks on civilians, particularly in the northeastern Borno State.

News of the February 3rd attack in Kwara state comes days after it was reported that jihadist fighters, on January 29th, had killed at least 25 people in the town of Sabon Gari in Borno State.

Most of the victims were labourers who had travelled to the town to work on a construction site, while at least nine soldiers and two civil task force members were also among those killed; Boko Haram has been accused of perpetrating this attack.

In a separate attack, hours before the deadly January 29th ambush, Borno State officials said that Islamist fighters had raided an army base in Sabon Gari, although no casualties were reported.

As of October 2025, at least 5,000 people have been forced to flee from Borno State after Boko Haram militants seized towns, set fire to homes and attacked civilians; many people have sought refuge in neighbouring Cameroon.

The presence of Boko Haram militants has effectively turned some towns into militarised zones, where access to essential resources, such as medical care and food supplies, is heavily restricted.

Boko Haram’s influence is not limited to Nigeria, as the organisation has expanded its operations into neighbouring countries, such as Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

Africanews via AFP, Maghrebi.org