Pelumi

162 people feared k+lled in Kwara State: one of the de@dliest ter+rist att@cks in Nigeria so far More than 160 people have been k+lled in coordinated att@cks on Woro and Nuku villages in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, marking one of Nigeria’s de@dliest assaults this year. The d+ath toll stood at 162 as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Mohammed Omar Bio, the lawmaker representing the area. He said the att@cks were carried out on Tuesday by the Lakurawa, an armed group linked to the Islamic State, although no group has officially claimed responsibility. According to local sources, g+nmen stormed the villages, rounded up residents, tied their hands behind their backs and executed them. Homes and shops were also set abl+ze during the as+sa¥lt. A Kaiama-based politician, Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, said many residents fled into surrounding bushland with g+nshot wounds, while several people, including the village’s traditional ruler, were still missing. Residents told reporters that the att@ckers were jihadists who had previously preached in the communities and demanded that villagers abandon allegiance to the Nigerian state and adopt sharia law. When locals resisted, the gunmen reportedly opened fire. Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the k+llings, describing them as a “cowardly” act by terr+rist cells responding to intensified military operations in the area. Kwara borders Niger State, where armed groups have expanded their activities in recent years. The Nigerian military has said it recently launched sustained operations against terrorist elements in the region. In a separate incident on Tuesday, g+nmen also k+lled at least 13 people in Doma village, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, according to police, highlighting the continuing wave of vi%lence across northern Nigeria.