Affiliated Criminal Gangs Mount Related Attacks in Neighboring States
By Onibiyo Segun
(Kaiama, Kwara State) Suspected terrorists linked to Boko Haram attacked Woro and Nuku villages in Kaiama county (local government area) of Kwara State around 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, killing villagers and torching homes near forest hideouts.
Initial accounts from residents and local sources put the death toll at least 10 people following the dusk assault.
However, by the time of publication, a subsequent report by Vanguard newspaper said the toll had risen sharply to at least 40, citing credible local government sources.
According to Vanguard, the renewed onslaught overwhelmed the two communities, prompting an expanded security response as soldiers and Forest Guards took over Woro and Nuku, intensifying search and stabilization operations.
Security forces were reported to be combing surrounding forest corridors connected to Niger State for fleeing attackers and possible abducted residents, while efforts continued to restore calm.
The villages are about 45 kilometers northwest of Ilorin, Kwara State’s capital, near Borgu National Park and bush corridors long identified by security analysts as transit routes for cross-border insurgent movements from Niger State into North-Central Nigeria.
Kaiama local government area, including Woro and Nuku, has faced repeated attacks by Mahmuda terrorists linked to Boko Haram splinter networks, with past raids involving killings and abductions carried out through the same forest routes.
These assaults reflect a sustained pattern of extremist incursions in the region.
Residents described chaotic scenes as gunmen, moving on foot and motorcycles, struck without warning.
“We were preparing supper when the shooting began. They aimed at anyone who stepped outside. We ran and hid in nearby bushes,” said Halima Yusuf, a resident of Woro to TruthNigeria.
“They blasted into houses one by one. I saw houses and food stores going up in flames. People ran in all directions. We counted at least ten bodies before dusk,” said Bello Adewole, a resident of Nuku.
The Kwara State Government condemned the attack, saying Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was personally monitoring the situation.
“The governor is personally monitoring the situation,” said Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the governor.
Ajakaye said the governor described the killings as “a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells reacting to sustained counter-terrorism efforts across the state.”
“Security agencies have been directed to intensify operations to prevent further attacks,” he added.
The Kwara State Police Command had not released details on reinforcement deployments or tactical responses as of publication.
The Kwara killings came amid a widening wave of extremist violence across North-Central Nigeria, following a major attack on a Catholic boarding school in Niger State on Sunday.
Gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Agwara local government area, abducting more than 300 students and teachers in one of the largest mass school kidnappings in recent years, according to national and international media reports.
Security forces launched search-and-rescue operations across forest corridors linking Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi states, while religious leaders and civil society groups condemned the assault.
Elsewhere, a separate attack in Katsina State on the same day underscored the spreading violence attributed to Fulani ethnic militia. Suspected extremists attacked Doma community in Faskari local government area, killing at least 20 people, burning shelters, and forcing survivors into nearby bushes.
Security sources said the attackers used similar tactics, exploiting ungoverned bush corridors.
Terror Group and Conflict Context
Security analysts and local leaders link the assailants to Boko Haram’s network of affiliated militants, exploiting forest corridors spanning Borgu National Park and Niger State forests to stage cross-border raids.
TruthNigeria has previously documented similar assaults in Kwara, including Boko Haram splinter group attacks in Karongi, Baruten local government area, in June 2025, which resulted in deaths and widespread property destruction.
Expert Analysis
“These groups use ungoverned forest corridors through Niger State’s Borgu National Park to bypass security checkpoints and strike multiple targets rapidly,” said Dr. Aisha Bello, a counter-terrorism specialist at the West Africa Peace Institute, Abuja.
Bello added: “Their ability to conduct coordinated raids indicates organization beyond local criminality.”
“Communities near dense forest boundaries like Borgu are extremely vulnerable,” said Lt. Col. Ibrahim Sule (rtd.), a security analyst in Abuja.
“Without permanent, intelligence-driven patrols and rapid-response units that cut off escape routes, these terror cells will continue to operate with relative impunity, Sule said.
Government and Security Response
Governor Abdulrazaq has pledged to escalate counter-terrorism operations, deploying additional security personnel and coordinating with federal forces to dismantle insurgent networks operating across state boundaries.
Analysts stress that stabilizing remote communities requires sustained intelligence gathering, community reporting mechanisms, and continuous operational pressure on militants entrenched in forest hideouts.
As survivors bury their dead, fear grips rural communities across Kwara and neighboring states, with many families considering displacement amid concerns of further Boko Haram-linked attacks.
TruthNigeria will continue to update this story as verified information and official statements emerge.
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflicts for TruthNigeria.
