For Immediate Release
Abuja,
February 6, 2026
New Waves of Massacre: Strategic Failure and Intelligence Gaps in Kwara, Kogi, Katsina and Kaduna.
We are profoundly saddened and livid by what seemed to have been a devastating coordinated attack on the Woro and Nuku communities by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) in two rural villages of Kwara state, killing over 170 people, many of them were shot at close range, and some were burnt alive. The attackers also set fire to shops and homes and people fled into the surrounding bushland during the attack. In a separate attack on the same day, armed groups attacked Doma village Tafoki ward in Katsina state, killing 21 people on February 3, 2026.
This tragedy, which occurred just 24 hours after the state government’s directive to reopen schools, raises harrowing questions about the “improved security” intelligence used to justify such a move. While we share in the grief of the bereaved families, we must also voice a mounting frustration over a security architecture that appears to have prioritised the appearance of normalcy and diplomatic sanity over the preservation of human life.
The decision to reopen schools in Kwara must be placed under immediate interrogation, especially when contrasted with the proactive caution shown by neighbouring Kogi State. While Kwara’s Ministry of Education assured parents on February 1st that the situation was “a lot better,” Kogi authorities correctly assessed the volatility of the region and ordered an immediate statewide closure. We must ask: What specific intelligence did Kwara rely on that differ so drastically from the reality recognized by Kogi? The discrepancy between the proactive vigilance in Lokoja and the premature “victory lap” in Ilorin has been paid for in Nigerian blood, and those who authorised this reopening must be held to account.
Furthermore, we are concerned by the persistent opacity regarding the casualty figures. While independent reports from the Red Cross have confirmed at least 162 fatalities, official state figures have fluctuated between 35 and 75. Minimising the scale of this toll through vague statements does nothing to heal the nation; it only breeds distrust and prevents an accurate allocation of resources. The Ministry of Defense must move beyond reactionary “clearance operations” and show measurable impact. Recall that the military said last month that it had launched “sustained coordinated offensive operations against terrorist elements” and achieved notable successes. According to media reports, the military killed at least 150 fighters in the operation. Security is not the absence of attacks, but the presence of a response that makes such massacres impossible to execute over the course of several hours.
Despite these failures, we acknowledge the setting up of a military command by President Tinubu, “Operation Savannah Shield”, we, however, hope it will checkmate the barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities. We also applaud the continued US-Nigeria joint operations and the success of AFRICOM-assisted airstrikes in degrading extremist enclaves. However, high-level strategic partnerships and new leadership appointments mean nothing if rural communities are left to burn without a response. We demand that the Ministry of Defense bridge this gap immediately, ensuring that the hope sparked by this new command is justified by the safety of every Nigerian child.
We also commend the judiciary and the Department of State Services (DSS) for blocking the release of 70 notorious bandits in Katsina State. This decisive action sends a critical message that violent criminals will not be allowed to roam free and that the safety of citizens must remain a priority. We demand immediate review of the schools vulnerability and act within the framework of active intelligence and security advisory.
The safety of a nation is measured by how it safeguards its people during crises, not only by how it responds after tragedy strikes.
Peter Maduoma
Executive Director