At least 218 people have been killed in recent attacks across central and northern Nigeria, according to reports from local officials, residents, and police. The escalating violence underscores the persistent security challenges facing the country, prompting international concern and renewed scrutiny of the Nigerian government’s response.
The most recent and deadly incident occurred on Tuesday in the village of Woro, Kwara State, where a local elected official, Saidu Baba Ahmed, reported at least 170 people were killed by armed assailants. This marks the deadliest single attack in the region so far this year. The district, bordering Niger State, has seen a growing influx of armed groups conducting raids on villages, abducting residents, and stealing livestock.
Ahmed described a horrific scene, stating that the attackers gathered villagers, bound their hands, and executed them. Many residents fled into nearby forested areas during the assault, and the attackers reportedly set homes and businesses ablaze. Police have confirmed a significant number of fatalities but have not yet released a precise count. “While I am speaking with you now, I am in the village with military personnel. We are sorting through the dead and searching the area for more victims,” Ahmed said.
Residents have identified the attackers as jihadists who had previously preached in the village, demanding that the local population reject the Nigerian state and adopt Sharia law. When this demand was refused, the assailants opened fire.
In a separate attack on , dozens were killed when gunmen stormed a village market, according to reports. This incident, and others like it, are adding to the mounting pressure on the Tinubu administration to address the escalating insecurity.
Another attack in Katsina State, in northern Nigeria, resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people. Local residents and police reported that armed men went door-to-door, shooting civilians.
Nigeria has faced increasing international pressure to improve its security situation. Last year, former U.S. President Donald Trump accused the country of failing to protect Christians following a series of Islamist attacks and mass kidnappings. In response, U.S. Forces conducted strikes against what they described as terrorist targets in Nigeria on December 25th.
Nigerian authorities state they are cooperating with the United States on security measures but deny allegations of systematic persecution of Christians.
The recent surge in violence follows a pattern of mass abductions that have sparked nationwide outrage and prompted the government to intensify security efforts. In November, authorities secured the release of pupils and teachers who had been kidnapped from a boarding school in Niger State, which borders Kogi State.
A large-scale, multi-agency offensive was launched on , in Kogi State, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 suspected members of an armed criminal gang, according to an official. The Kogi state government’s media officer stated that arrests were also made, though the number was not specified. Footage shared by Kogi police, filmed from a helicopter, showed flames engulfing a settlement in a densely forested area.
Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi state’s commissioner for information, explained that several bandit camps were destroyed during coordinated operations involving various branches of the country’s security and paramilitary forces. He also noted that efforts to apprehend fleeing bandits were hampered by their use of abducted civilians as human shields. “Security forces have put them in disarray wherever they try to regroup,” Fanwo said.
These attacks are occurring against a backdrop of broader instability in Nigeria, where armed groups – known locally as bandits – have carried out killings and kidnappings for ransom, primarily in the northwest, but increasingly in other parts of the country. Amnesty International reported in May 2025 that the Nigerian authorities’ failure to protect lives from daily attacks by armed groups has resulted in thousands of deaths and a looming humanitarian crisis. At least 200 people were killed and more than 6,000 displaced in attacks during June 2025.
The violence in Benue State, Nigeria’s “breadbasket,” has also been particularly severe. In July 2025, dozens of attackers stormed the farming village of Yelwata, killing at least 160 people.
The escalating violence raises concerns about the potential for further destabilization in Nigeria and the wider region. The continued attacks and the government’s struggle to contain them highlight the complex security challenges facing the country and the urgent need for a comprehensive and effective response.
