Nigeria deploys troops after 170 killed in village
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu deployed an army battalion to Kaiama district in central Kwara state after suspected jihadist fighters killed 170 people in an overnight attack.
The attack on Woro village was the deadliest this year in the state bordering Niger, a hotspot where the Islamic State West Africa Province and other armed groups have stepped up village attacks and mass kidnappings.
The violence highlights fears that jihadist groups from the north are moving south along the Niger-Kwara axis towards the “Kainji forest”, which security analysts warn could be their next stronghold.
Nigeria has come under scrutiny after US President Donald Trump last year accused the country of failing to protect Christians in the face of Islamist attacks and mass kidnappings. On December 25, US forces struck places they identified as terrorist targets.
Abuja says it is working with Washington to improve security and denies any systematic persecution of Christians.
Tinubu said the new military unit would prevent further attacks and protect remote communities. He condemned the attack as “cowardly and barbaric,” saying the gunmen targeted villagers who had rejected attempts to impose extremist rule.
“It is commendable that members of the community, despite being Muslims, refuse to adhere to a faith that promotes violence instead of peace,” Tinubu said in a statement. he said.
Residents told Reuters the attackers were jihadists who had long preached in the village and called on locals to abandon the Nigerian state and embrace sharia rule. When the villagers refused, the militants opened fire.
Politician Saidu Baba Ahmed, who represents the region in the state assembly, said that approximately 38 houses were destroyed.
In a separate attack in northern Katsina state on Tuesday, gunmen went from house to house, shooting their victims, residents and local police, killing at least 21 people.
