On the evening of 3 February 2026, hundreds of armed militants descended on the villages of Woro and Nuku in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, north-central Nigeria. The attack began around 17:00 local time and continued into the early hours of 4 February. Militants moved house to house, shooting residents, setting homes and shops ablaze, and abducting an unspecified number of women and children. The palace of the district head (Emir) of Woro was torched; the Emir was reported missing, and two of his wives and several children were killed.
A search-and-rescue team escorted by military personnel and forest guards counted at least 170 bodies by Wednesday evening, 5 February. The Red Cross placed the toll at 162 as of that evening. The Kwara State Government initially confirmed 75 killed; local and independent sources put the figure between 170 and 200+. On 14 February, Boko Haram paraded 176 abducted residents in a video, indicating the abduction figure had been significantly understated in initial reports.
Nigerian security sources and local authorities attributed the attack to Boko Haram's Sadiku faction, led by Mallam Sadiku — a splinter group of the main Boko Haram organisation (formally Jama'atu Ahlissunnah Lidda'awati wal-Jihad). A member of parliament representing the area, Mohammed Omar Bio, attributed it to the Lakurawa group, an Islamist armed group affiliated with the Islamic State. International Crisis Group noted the attack reflected growing jihadist strength around Kainji National Park. Boko Haram had sent a warning letter to the district head five months before the attack, demanding compliance with their version of Islamic law. Villagers were reportedly targeted for rejecting extremist ideology and for cooperating with government security forces.
The International Crisis Group noted Kwara State had become a new battleground in Nigeria's north-central zone, joining Benue, Niger and Plateau states — all with long-running violence. ACLED recorded at least 207 people killed and more than 177 abducted in Kwara between January and November 2025 alone. The Kainji National Park forest, bordering Niger State, has increasingly served as a base for armed groups since 2020. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and ordered the deployment of an army battalion to the area, establishing "Operation Shield Savannah."
The Nigerian government condemned the attack. The Red Cross and International Crisis Group published assessments within 72 hours. The attack received coverage from Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera. No UN Security Council statement was issued within the 72-hour window.