ILORIN, Nigeria — The death toll from Tuesday evening’s armed assault in Kaiama area of Kwara State has climbed to 162, according to the Red Cross, as rescue teams continue searching nearby settlements and bush paths for missing residents.
Kwara Red Cross official Babaomo Ayodeji said the latest figure is an update from earlier counts and may still rise as responders access remote locations. Police have confirmed the attack but have not issued an official casualty total.
Local accounts say gunmen struck around 6 p.m. in Woro and Nuku, burning homes and shops and attacking the traditional authority structure, including the king’s palace. Reports indicate the traditional ruler’s whereabouts were initially unknown after the raid.
Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the killings as “a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells,” linking the assault to recent security offensives in parts of the state.
The scale of the killings has made the Kaiama violence one of Nigeria’s deadliest single attacks in recent months. Amnesty International said fatalities may be even higher, while residents described widespread destruction and displacement.
Security analysts say the massacre reflects Nigeria’s overlapping conflict pressures: jihadist activity, organized bandit raids, and local protection gaps in hard-to-reach communities. Kwara, which sits near routes connecting to northwestern insecurity corridors, has increasingly featured in security warnings.
The attack also comes amid renewed international attention on Nigeria’s violence profile. Recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump of a Christian “genocide” have been rejected by Abuja and independent experts, who argue that victims across Nigeria’s crises include both Muslims and Christians depending on location and armed group dynamics.
For now, local authorities say priority operations are body recovery, medical support for survivors, and reinforcement of security presence to prevent follow-up attacks. With many families still searching for relatives, officials expect the human toll to become clearer over the coming days.
