The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that Islamic jihadists carried out coordinated attacks that left about 200 people dead in Woro and neighbouring communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Samaila Uba, the DHQ said the assailants launched the deadly raids after villagers resisted an attempt to subject the community to extremist indoctrination.
“It will be recalled that terrorists entered Woro village of Kaiama Local Government of Kwara State with a request to conduct a preaching and indoctrination session in the village which was outrightly rejected by the villagers,” the statement said.
According to the military, security agencies were immediately alerted and troops were deployed to the area.
“The military was informed and promptly troops were despatched to dominate the general areas with robust patrols and surveillance among other security measures for about two weeks,” the DHQ said.
However, the statement added that the attackers later returned to unleash violence on the communities.
“The cowardly terrorists however, returned weeks after to kill innocent citizens in protest and in a bid to terrorise inhabitants and others,” it said.
The Defence Headquarters urged Nigerians across ethnic, religious, and regional lines to resist all forms of ideological indoctrination by violent extremist groups, warning that such groups seek to impose their beliefs through fear and intimidation.
The massacre has triggered widespread outrage across the country and drawn international attention, with global media spotlighting the scale of the killings.
In response, President Bola Tinubu has ordered the deployment of security agencies to the affected communities to restore order and prevent further attacks.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International also condemned the violence. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group said more than 200 people were killed in separate attacks in Kwara and Katsina states on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the attacks on rural communities in Kwara and Katsina State on Tuesday 3 February 2026, in which gunmen killed over 200 people. Many of those killed were shot at close range and some were burnt alive,” the organisation said.
