Nigeria has been hit by one of its deadliest waves of violence in recent months after about 190 people were killed in coordinated bandit attacks across Kwara State and Katsina State between February 1 and February 4, 2026, according to Nigerian authorities, humanitarian agencies, and multiple local and international reports, with the figure still expected to rise as bodies are being recovered from burnt homes, farms, and surrounding bushes.
The heaviest bloodshed occurred in Kwara, where armed men stormed Woro and Nuku villages in Kaiama Local Government Area, first attacking late on Tuesday night and then returning again early Wednesday morning, shooting residents at close range, setting houses on fire, and hunting down people who tried to escape, with updated figures from local officials, lawmakers, and the Nigerian Red Cross putting the death toll at between 162 and 170 people, making it one of the deadliest single bandit massacres recorded in the state.
In Katsina, bandits struck Doma community in Faskari Local Government Area on February 3, killing more than 20 civilians according to local leaders, while police confirmed at least 13 deaths, with homes and vehicles destroyed and families forced to flee as the attackers rampaged through the area.
Combined, the two states account for roughly 190 confirmed deaths in just three days, a staggering reminder of how deeply Nigeria’s rural areas have fallen under the control of violent criminal gangs operating out of forests and borderlands, taking advantage of weak security, poor roads, and limited state presence.
The scale of the killings has reignited outrage nationwide, especially as Nigeria had already recorded over 2,266 deaths from bandits and insurgents in the first half of 2025 alone, yet communities across the north and central regions remain exposed, with villages left to defend themselves against men with military-grade weapons.
Search and rescue teams are still digging through the ashes and bush paths around Woro, Nuku, and Doma for missing persons, meaning the death toll is not final, as Nigeria once again counts its dead while survivors bury loved ones and wonder who will be next.
