Nigeria: Death Toll from Village Massacre Rises to 162 as Search for Missing Continues
Edited By: Sekou Kagné
At least 162 people have been killed in a brutal armed attack on the village of Wuro in Nigeria’s Kwara State, in the country’s central-western region, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Red Cross.
The massacre is one of the deadliest attacks recorded in Nigeria in recent months and comes amid a sharp escalation in violence by armed gangs and militant groups, whose activities have increasingly spread from the northwest toward central and southern areas.
Rising death toll and ongoing searches
Babawomo Ayodiji, secretary of the Kwara State branch of the Red Cross, said the death toll had climbed to 162 as search operations continued, up from an initial figure of 67. Rescue teams and security forces are still combing nearby forests and remote terrain in search of bodies and survivors.
Local lawmaker Saidu Baba Ahmed said villagers fled into surrounding bushland when gunmen stormed Wuro late on Tuesday night. The attackers reportedly set homes and shops ablaze, including the residence of the village chief, whose whereabouts remain unknown. A significant number of residents are still missing, raising fears that the number of casualties could increase further.
Deepening security crisis
Kwara State has been grappling with a complex security crisis marked by the presence of armed criminal gangs that raid villages and kidnap residents for ransom, alongside militant groups seeking to expand their territorial influence.
State governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak described the attack as a “cowardly expression of frustration” by what he called “terrorist cells,” claiming it was retaliation for recent military operations in the area. Nigerian security forces have reported the “neutralization” of around 150 armed criminals in forests across the state in recent weeks.
In response to the deteriorating security situation, local authorities imposed curfews in several areas and temporarily closed schools. Although classes were ordered to resume earlier this week, residents remain fearful as attacks continue to target communities along the border between Kwara and Niger states—an area that has recorded the highest number of fatalities since the start of the year.
