Bandits Kill Scores in Kwara, Katsina Attacks as Security Forces Intensify Operations

Segun Atanda & Malik Yahya/

At least 40 people have been killed in coordinated bandit attacks on communities in Kwara State, while a separate assault in Katsina State has left about 20 others dead, underscoring the persistent security challenges facing parts of northern Nigeria.

In Kwara State, the violence occurred on Tuesday evening in Woro and Nuku communities of Kaiama Local Government Area, where armed bandits launched a renewed onslaught that shattered a period of relative calm.

By Wednesday morning, soldiers and forest guards had taken over the affected villages as the death toll continued to rise.

A source within Kaiama Local Government, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, confirmed that more than 40 residents had been killed.

“The casualties are over forty as we speak, and soldiers and forest guards have taken over the two communities. It is a very sad development at a time we thought peace was returning after past bandits’ attacks,” the source said.

Residents reported that the attackers moved through the communities, shooting indiscriminately and setting several houses on fire, leaving many families devastated and forcing survivors to flee to nearby areas.

Multiple local sources alleged that the assailants originated from bandit camps in neighbouring Niger State.

According to these accounts, the armed men initially gathered residents under the pretence of preaching, urging them to abandon Nigeria’s constitution and adopt the Qur’an as a governing framework.

Tensions reportedly escalated when some residents objected to the message.

“The bandits became angry and opened fire on the congregation. No fewer than forty people from the two communities were killed, while a few managed to escape. Preparations for mass burial are ongoing,” a local source said.

The Kwara State Government has confirmed the attack.

In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq condemned the killings and described the assault as a cowardly attack on civilians.

“Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is saddened by the cowardly attack on civilians in Woro and Nuku communities of Kaiama Local Government Area,” the statement said.

The governor attributed the violence to what he described as the frustration of terrorist cells in the face of sustained counterterrorism operations across the state, noting that security forces had recently recorded successes against terrorist and kidnapping gangs in several areas.

He extended condolences to the affected communities and families and assured residents that security agencies would continue to intensify operations to prevent further attacks.

Meanwhile, in Katsina State, at least 20 people were killed in a separate bandit attack on Doma community, where gunmen reportedly stormed the area, killing residents, burning vehicles, and displacing more than 100 people.

Local accounts said the attackers arrived in large numbers, sparking panic and forcing many villagers to flee.

The Katsina incident reportedly followed the collapse of a local truce with armed groups, heightening fears of renewed large scale violence in the area.

State authorities were said to have deployed additional security personnel, while community leaders appealed for urgent intervention to prevent further bloodshed.

The twin attacks in Kwara and Katsina highlight the widening geographic spread of bandit violence, which has increasingly moved beyond its North West strongholds into parts of the North Central region.

Despite ongoing military operations, joint patrols, and the involvement of local forest guards, communities located near forest corridors and inter state borders remain vulnerable.

Security agencies have yet to release consolidated casualty figures for the incidents, but burials were ongoing in affected communities amid heightened security presence and growing concerns about possible further attacks.