BREAKING: Defence Headquarters Confirms Terrorists Carried Out Mass Killings In Kwara Community After Residents Rejected 'Indoctrination, Preachings'

According to the DHQ, the assailants had earlier entered Woro village requesting permission to "conduct preaching and indoctrination sessions," a demand the villagers reportedly rejected outright.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) Abuja has said the recent deadly attack on Woro and neighbouring communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State was carried out by terrorists angered by the villagers’ refusal to submit to ideological indoctrination.

In a statement issued on Thursday signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the military described the assault as a “cowardly terrorist attack” that led to the loss of innocent lives, expressing shock and condolence to affected families and communities.

SaharaReporters reports that over 170 residents were killed by the terrorists during the Tuesday attack.

According to the DHQ, the assailants had earlier entered Woro village requesting permission to "conduct preaching and indoctrination sessions," a demand the villagers reportedly rejected outright.

The military said it was subsequently alerted and deployed troops to the area, maintaining robust patrols, surveillance, and other security measures for about two weeks.

“However, weeks after the troops withdrew, the cowardly terrorists returned to kill innocent citizens in protest and in a bid to terrorise inhabitants and others,” the statement said.

The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) commended the residents of Woro and neighbouring communities for what it described as resilience and refusal to abandon their way of life or constitutional loyalty despite threats.

“The AFN mourns with the families of those who have lost loved ones in these and other similar brutal attacks on defenceless citizens defending community values and freedom across Nigeria,” the military said.

The DHQ said it called on Nigerians to remain steadfast in their faith in the Constitution and to resist ideological indoctrination by violent extremist groups, warning that such groups seek to impose “twisted beliefs through terror and intimidation.”

It also urged citizens to strengthen cooperation with security agencies, insisting that unity and resilience remain the country’s strongest defence against terrorism.

Reaffirming its commitment to national security, the DHQ said efforts were being intensified, in collaboration with other security agencies, to track down and prosecute those responsible for the attack in Woro and other acts of terrorism across the country.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Amnesty International condemned the alarming escalation of killings and abductions for ransom across Nigeria, warning that the continued bloodshed reflects the utter failure of Nigerian authorities to protect lives and property.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the global human rights organisation had said Nigerians were feeling increasingly unsafe as gunmen and criminal gangs operate with near-total impunity across several states.

Amnesty had described Tuesday, February 3, 2026, as a “Bloody Tuesday,” following coordinated and deadly attacks in different parts of the country that left dozens of people dead.

According to the organisation, gunmen carried out deadly assaults in Woro and Nuku communities in Kwara State, Doma Tafoki in Katsina State, and Abande in Benue State, where residents were reportedly killed in large numbers.

“Alarming escalation of attacks, abductions for ransom and frequent killings across Nigeria have left people feeling more unsafe, showing utter failure of the Nigerian authorities to protect lives and properties,” Amnesty International had said.