Nigeria attack death toll hits 170, army battalion deployed

2026-02-05 - 08:35

The number of fatalities from a large-scale attack in Nigeria's Kwara State has climbed dramatically to 170, a state lawmaker reported Thursday, revealing the escalating severity of the violence. The updated death toll comes as President Bola Tinubu ordered the urgent deployment of a military battalion to the region in a bid to restore security and pursue the perpetrators. Rising casualties and ongoing search While the state government confirmed the burial of 75 victims in a mass ceremony on Wednesday, local assembly member Saidu Baba Ahmed provided the higher figure the following day. "Information at my disposal indicated that the casualties have risen to 170," Ahmed stated, adding that community members were still searching remote bush areas for more bodies. He also reported that 35 women were abducted during the assault and that survivors were hiding in the wilderness. Political reaction and military mobilization The attack has drawn strong condemnation from national figures, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who described the killings as a "national disaster" and called for decisive federal intervention. Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced Wednesday that "President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate deployment of an army battalion under ‘Operation Savannah Shield’ to launch counter-offensives against the perpetrators." This move signals a shift to a more robust military posture in the affected area. Regional security context Kwara State, situated in Nigeria's north-central region, has faced intensifying security challenges in recent months. Communities near forested border areas are particularly vulnerable to attacks linked to banditry, kidnapping, and the spillover of violence from neighboring northwestern states, where armed groups are under increasing military pressure. This latest massacre underscores the complex and expanding security crisis affecting multiple regions of Africa's most populous nation.