Nigeria's growing violence: a nation under siege

Global Watch | 2026-02-26

Nigeria is facing a deepening security crisis as armed groups continue to terrorize communities across the country.

In the latest wave of violence, nearly 200 people were killed in attacks across Kwara and Katsina states.

The attacks underscore the growing instability in Nigeria's northern and western regions.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 5 condemned the killings in Kwara as "cowardly and barbaric" and announced the deployment of an army battalion under Operation Savannah Shield to combat the attackers.

Despite ongoing military operations, the attacks reveal glaring security lapses and the inability of law enforcement to prevent such atrocities.

Deadly massacres

Suspected jihadist gunmen on February 3 stormed the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara, killing at least 170 people.

Survivors described how the attackers rounded up residents, tied their hands behind their backs and executed them.

Homes and shops were torched, forcing villagers to flee into the surrounding bushland.

Footage from the scene shows bodies lying in pools of blood, with burning houses in the background.

Amnesty International criticized the security lapses that enabled the attack, noting that the gunmen had been sending warning letters to the villagers because they rejected the extremist Islamist ideology for months.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq called the attack a "cowardly expression of frustration" by terrorist cells in response to ongoing military operations.

The Nigerian military had claimed notable successes in the region, killing at least 150 fighters in recent offensives.

Meanwhile, in Katsina's town of Doma, local gunmen on February 3 killed at least 21 people in a separate attack, moving from house to house to shoot their victims.

Residents described the attackers as merciless, recounting how they refused to spare even those who begged for their lives.

The attack broke a six-month peace pact between the community and the armed gang that had been terrorizing the region.

A complex security crisis

Nigeria's security challenges are multifaceted, with violent groups linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) operating in the northeast, alongside a surge in kidnappings for ransom across the northwest and north-central regions.

The attacks in Kwara and Katsina highlight the growing influence of terrorist cells and the failure of security forces to contain them.

The violence has left communities devastated, with survivors mourning the loss of loved ones and struggling to rebuild their lives. The attacks have also exposed the dilemma faced by residents in Nigeria's remote north, where some have sought peace with armed gangs by offering money and food.

These arrangements, however, are fragile and often fail to prevent violence.

The Nigerian government has stepped up military operations and announced new initiatives to combat armed groups, but the scale of the crisis demands more comprehensive solutions.

Amnesty International has called for tighter security measures and greater accountability to prevent future attacks.

Tinubu's deployment of Operation Savannah Shield is a step in the right direction, but the government must address the root causes of the violence, including poverty, corruption, and the lack of effective law enforcement.

Nigeria's growing violence is a stark reminder of the urgent need for stronger security measures and coordinated efforts to combat armed groups.

The massacres in Kwara and Katsina highlight the devastating human toll of the crisis and the failure of existing strategies to protect vulnerable communities. Without decisive action, the cycle of violence will continue, leaving more communities at the mercy of armed groups and deepening the nation's instability.