At least 170 people were killed in a brutal attack by armed men on a remote village in Nigeria's Kwara state, a local lawmaker revealed. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, has left authorities and soldiers searching nearby bushland for survivors. This region has become a frequent target of gunmen who raid villages, kidnap residents, and loot livestock. Villagers fled into the surrounding bushland as the gunmen attacked Woro, with the lawmaker, Saidu Baba Ahmed, describing how the attackers rounded up residents, bound their hands, and executed them. The lawmaker shared disturbing photographs of the dead bodies with Reuters, which the agency is yet to verify. The attackers also torched homes and shops during the raid. As of Wednesday morning, several people were still missing. Residents reported that the gunmen, believed to be jihadists, demanded the locals renounce their allegiance to the Nigerian state and convert to Sharia law. When the villagers resisted, the militants opened fire during a sermon. The Kwara police spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the mobilization of police and military for a search-and-rescue operation but declined to provide casualty details. The Red Cross secretary in Kwara state, Ayodeji Emmanuel Babaomo, estimated that hundreds of men attacked the village, resulting in scores of deaths, but the exact numbers remain uncertain due to the remote location. The Kwara Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, described the attack as a 'cowardly expression of frustration' by terrorist cells in response to ongoing military operations against armed extremists in the state. Nigeria is grappling with a complex security crisis, including an insurgency by Islamic militants in the northeast and a surge in kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and north-central regions. Intercommunal violence is also prevalent in central states. In a separate incident on Tuesday, gunmen killed at least 13 people in the village of Doma in the northwestern state of Katsina. Investigations are underway to determine the circumstances and identify the attackers. Last week, armed extremists killed at least 36 people in separate attacks on a construction site and an army base in northeastern Nigeria. The country has faced pressure to restore security after US President Donald Trump accused it of failing to protect Christians following numerous Islamist attacks and mass kidnappings. US forces conducted airstrikes on December 25, targeting what they described as terrorist sites. Nigerian authorities have denied systematic persecution of Christians and are cooperating with Washington to enhance security.
