JUST IN: Bandits Kill Nursing Student, 162 Others in Fresh Kwara Attack

JUST IN: Bandits Kill Nursing Student, 162 Others in Fresh Kwara Attack

4 February 2026

Gunmen have killed at least 162 people in a devastating attack on two communities in Nigeria’s north-central Kwara State, officials say, in one of the deadliest incidents recorded in the region this year.

The assault targeted Woro and Nuku in Kaiama Local Government Area late on Tuesday, with attackers reportedly rounding up residents, binding their hands, and shooting them before setting homes, shops, and the local palace ablaze. A second wave of violence reportedly occurred early Wednesday, contributing to the rising toll.

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Among the victims is Salihu Bio Khalid, a midwifery student at the Kwara State College of Nursing Sciences (KWASCONS) and former president of the institution’s Student Union Government (SUG). His brother was also killed in the attack. Mr Khalid was widely regarded in nursing and student circles as a committed advocate for student welfare and improved healthcare education.

The Kwara State secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross, Babaomo Ayodeji, confirmed the death toll of 162 on Wednesday afternoon, stating that search operations for additional bodies were continuing. Earlier figures ranged from 35–40 (reported by local lawmaker Sa’idu Baba Ahmed) to 67, before the number rose sharply.

Kwara State Police confirmed the incident but have not yet released an official casualty figure. Security forces, including soldiers and forest guards, have since deployed to the area for search-and-rescue and to secure the communities.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq described the killings as “a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” in response to ongoing military counter terrorism operations in parts of the state. He extended condolences to affected families and directed intensified security efforts along the volatile Kwara–Niger State border axis.

Local sources and some reports link the attackers to the Lakurawa group an armed faction reportedly affiliated with Islamic State, although no group has claimed responsibility. The communities lie near dense forests in the Borgu National Park area, long identified as a hideout for armed groups operating between Kwara and Niger states.

The incident has once again highlighted Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, particularly in rural north-central and north-western regions where banditry, kidnapping, and clashes with security forces have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.

Student bodies, including the National Association of Nigeria Comrades (NANC) Kwara Axis, have expressed deep grief over Mr Khalid’s death and called for stronger protection of student populated areas and transit routes.

Political leaders, including the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and Senator Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central), have urged the deployment of additional troops and greater community cooperation with security agencies.

The state government and opposition parties have also demanded humanitarian support, medical aid, and swift justice for the perpetrators.

As recovery efforts continue, the full scale of the tragedy including the number of missing persons remains unclear.

Fellow Nurses Africa stands in solidarity with the KWASCONS community, the family of Comrade Salihu Bio Khalid, and all those affected by this senseless violence. We renew our call for urgent, sustained measures to protect healthcare trainees, rural populations, and frontline workers across Nigeria.

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