Amnesty International has condemned the killing of more than 200 people in separate violent attacks on Tuesday in Kwara and Katsina.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the attacks on rural communities in Kwara and Katsina state on Tuesday 3 February 2026, in which gunmen killed over 200 people. Many of those killed were shot at close range and some were burnt alive,” the organisation said in a statement on Wednesday.
Decrying the incident, the rights organisation said gunmen attacked Woro and Nuku villages in Kwara State, killing no fewer than 170 residents, razed homes and looted shops.
“Villagers of the affected Kwara state communities are still searching and finding dead bodies, with hands tied from behind and slit throats. Some were shot while tied at hands and feet. Gory images show corpses on the streets in pools of blood. Several people were also abducted,” Amnesty International noted.
Expressing concern, the rights group described Tuesday’s attack as “unacceptable” and “one of the deadliest” in recent times.
The organisation noted that the incident confirmed the weak security architecture in the country, which has continued to enable deadly attacks on residents in the affected state.
“Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that the gunmen held a free rein while rounding up young men and entire families and slaughtering them. The manner and time the gunmen took to carry out these attacks shows a stunning absence of any form of security for the protection of lives,” Amnesty International stated.
Faulting governments and security agencies’ poor handling of forewarned threats, the rights-based organisation stated that its findings revealed that gunmen sent letters and pamphlets to the community two weeks prior, with security operatives unable to forestall the attack.
“Findings show that the gunmen have been sending letters and pamphlets to the community over two weeks,” the rights group noted.
Amnesty International called on the President Bola Tinubu’s administration and all other government authorities to conduct thorough and impartial investigation into the vicious attacks, while doing more than to protect lives and property of citizens.
“The Nigerian authorities must effectively and impartially investigate these vicious attacks and do more to protect lives of all people. Amnesty International has been documenting attacks on rural communities in the north — and clearly, authorities have clearly left such communities at the mercy of rampaging gunmen,” Amnesty International said.
It added, “The fact that such atrocities remain commonplace in rural areas of the north shows that protecting lives is low on the list of government’s priorities. President Bola Tinubu must do more protect lives and ensure that families of victims receive reparation and justice.”
