At least 35 people were killed late on Tuesday when armed bandits stormed Woro village, a remote community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, in what has been described as the deadliest attack in the area so far in 2026.
The attack, reported by Saidu Baba Ahmed, a member of the Kwara state House of Assembly, involved gunmen shooting residents and setting houses and shops on fire, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Many villagers reportedly fled into surrounding bushland to escape the violence, leaving several residents missing.
The incident highlights growing insecurity in north-central Nigeria, where banditry—once largely concentrated in the northwest—has begun spreading to new regions.
What they are saying
Reuters reported that the attack caught residents off guard, forcing many to run for their lives.
- Ahmed said people ran in different directions to save their lives, adding that several residents remained unaccounted for as of Wednesday morning.
- Several houses and shops were reportedly set ablaze as the attackers moved through the community.
- Local leaders fear the death toll could rise as missing residents are accounted for.
The scale of the attack has intensified concerns over insecurity in areas of Kwara previously considered relatively safe.
Backstory
Banditry in Nigeria has evolved over the past decade, shifting from the northwest to north-central states such as Niger, Kebbi, and now parts of Kwara.
- Armed gangs typically operate in forested corridors, raiding villages, abducting residents for ransom, stealing livestock, and looting food supplies.
- Kwara State’s northern districts are particularly exposed due to their proximity to known bandit routes in Niger and Kebbi states.
As of Wednesday, the Kwara State Government and federal security agencies had not released an official statement on the Woro attack.
More Insights
The Woro attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have raised national alarm.
In November 2025, President Bola Tinubu postponed trips to both the 20th G20 Summit in South Africa and the 7th AU–EU Summit in Angola due to escalating insecurity in Kebbi and Kwara States.
- Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that the President awaited additional security briefings after the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State.
- A separate attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara, further highlighted the threat to rural communities.
- Calls from local residents for enhanced security deployments and intelligence gathering have grown louder in recent months.
Security experts warn that repeated assaults in vulnerable communities could trigger mass displacement and worsen humanitarian challenges in the region.
What you should know
In November, Tinubu directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, ordering that these personnel be redeployed to core policing duties.
The decision was announced after President Tinubu met with the police, Air Force and army chiefs, as well as the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
