Nearly 200 people were killed when armed men launched coordinated attacks on remote villages in western and northern Nigeria, authorities and residents said on Wednesday (4 February). Officials described the assaults as among the deadliest this year, amid the country’s worsening security crisis.
The heaviest attack struck the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara state on Tuesday evening, where gunmen killed at least 170 people, according to local lawmaker Sa’idu Baba Ahmed and a Red Cross official, as security forces searched for survivors and missing residents.
Ahmed said the attackers rounded up villagers, bound their hands and executed them, before burning homes, shops and the residence of the traditional ruler.
“As I’m speaking to you now, I’m in the village along with military personnel, sorting dead bodies and combing the surrounding areas for more,” he told the reporters.
Police confirmed that “scores” of people were killed but declined to give a final figure, saying search-and-rescue operations were still under way. Several residents, including the village’s traditional king, remained unaccounted for.
Residents told press the attackers were jihadists who had previously preached in the area, demanding that villagers renounce allegiance to the Nigerian state and adopt sharia law. When villagers resisted, the gunmen opened fire, witnesses said.
In a separate attack the same day in Katsina state, armed men killed at least 13 people in Doma village, moving from house to house and shooting residents, police said. The assault shattered a six-month peace pact between local communities and armed gangs.
Rights group Amnesty International said the Kwara attackers had issued warning letters to villagers for months before the assault, calling the security failures that enabled the killings “unacceptable”.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq described the violence as retaliation for recent counter-terrorism operations, saying the attack reflected “the frustration of terrorist cells” under pressure from security forces.
According to local sources, Nigeria faces multiple overlapping security threats, including jihadist insurgencies linked to Islamic State affiliates, criminal gangs known locally as bandits, and intercommunal violence.
Officials say some of the attackers belong to the Lakurawa, an armed group operating along Nigeria’s border with Niger.
The attacks come as security cooperation with the United States intensifies. Nigeria’s defence minister confirmed that a small U.S. military team is currently in the country providing intelligence and training support, following recent joint operations and U.S. airstrikes on militant camps.
The Nigerian government has rejected claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Christians are being specifically targeted, saying violence affects Muslims and Christians alike across Africa’s most populous nation.
Despite stepped-up military operations, residents across northern and central Nigeria say insecurity is spreading, with armed groups increasingly striking communities far from traditional conflict zones.
Eleven people were killed when a small plane carrying skydivers crashed near Nancy in eastern France on Sunday, local officials said....
Pope Leo has expressed solidarity with people in Venezuela after twin earthquakes struck the country earlier this week, causing widespread damage and ...
Iran has launched missiles and drones targeting U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, according to Iranian state media and a U.S. official, in re...
France has recorded 1,000 excess deaths during the severe heatwave that swept across Europe, according to the country's public health agency, which wa...
Lebanon says Israeli air strikes and ground operations have damaged or destroyed historic landmarks across the country's south, raising fears that par...
Nigeria’s parliament approved a constitutional bill on Thursday that would allow each of the country’s 36 states to create and operate its own police force alongside the federal Nigeria Police Force. The reform, long debated, aims to tackle the country’s growing security challenges.
Nigeria’s anti-drug agency says it has dismantled a methamphetamine production syndicate in what officials describe as the country’s largest drugs seizure of its kind.
Gunmen killed at least 10 people, including women and children, in an attack on a rural community in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina State, residents said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, was killed in an operation conducted by U.S. and Nigerian forces.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Japan remained on high alert Saturday as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the eastern coast after Typhoon Higos weakened into a tropical depression. Authorities warned of continued heavy rain, flooding, and landslides, according to media reports.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States and Iran each launched strikes in the worst escalation since they signed their interim peace deal.
Germany and Poland are bracing for sweltering conditions as a deadly heatwave that has gripped Western Europe moves east, with temperatures expected to approach 40°C over the weekend.
Pope Leo has expressed solidarity with people in Venezuela after twin earthquakes struck the country earlier this week, causing widespread damage and leaving communities in urgent need of assistance.
Eleven people were killed when a small plane carrying skydivers crashed near Nancy in eastern France on Sunday, local officials said.
France has recorded 1,000 excess deaths during the severe heatwave that swept across Europe, according to the country's public health agency, which warned the final toll is likely to rise.
Lionel Messi made World Cup history as Argentina finished top of Group J, while Austria and Algeria both reached the Round of 32 after a dramatic draw that ended Iran's hopes of progressing.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 28 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment