Gunmen killed at least 162 people in Nigeria’s Kwara state in one of the deadliest attacks in the country in recent months, a Red Cross official said Wednesday (February 4, 2026). The attack was confirmed by police, who did not provide casualty figures, and the State government, which blamed “terrorist cells”. Last month, the military said it had launched “sustained coordinated offensive operations against terrorist elements” in Kwara state and achieved notable successes. Jihadist attacks intensified last year with the powerful Al-Qaeda affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claiming responsibility for its first attack in Nigeria, in Kwara state last year. In response to the myriad security woes, authorities in Kwara state imposed curfews in certain areas and closed schools for several weeks before ordering them to reopen on Monday.

Source: The Hindu February 04, 2026 09:39 UTC