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The United Nations Security Council issued a formal condemnation Tuesday of the February 3 terrorist assault on two villages in Kwara State, Nigeria, describing the coordinated attacks that killed more than 160 people as “heinous and cowardly” and calling on member states to cooperate with Nigerian authorities in pursuing those responsible for organizing and financing the massacre.
The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack in Kwara State, Nigeria, on 3 February 2026, which resulted in the loss of the lives of at least 100 people and the destruction of properties, the council said in a press statement issued in New York. The statement acknowledged a death toll of at least 100, though Nigerian officials and international humanitarian organizations have reported significantly higher figures. The death toll later rose to 162, according to Member of Parliament Mohammed Omar Bio and the Red Cross, with the latter adding that searches for additional bodies were ongoing. The death toll was later reported to have risen to over 200, as more bodies were recovered from the surrounding bushland. It was the deadliest attack in Nigeria in 2026, and according to the Critical Threats Project, the deadliest outside of northeast Nigeria to date and the deadliest jihadist attack of the decade.
The attacks targeted the neighbouring villages of Woro and Nuku in Kaiama Local Government Area, near the Benin border. The attack on Nuku and Woro, which are neighbouring, predominately Muslim villages in Kaiama, Kwara, near the Beninese border, began at 17:30 WAT. Also killed were the chief Imam of Woro, a school principal, a headmistress, and schoolchildren. A local said around 95% of the dead were Muslim, and the rest were Christian.
Amnesty said many people were shot at close range and some were burnt alive or had their throats slit. Some victims were mutilated. The attacks also resulted in the abduction of scores of women and children, the destruction of homes and shops, and the displacement of hundreds of residents who fled into surrounding forest areas.
The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. The council urged all states to cooperate actively with the Nigerian government in accordance with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, including those governing international human rights law, international refugee law, and international humanitarian law. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. The statement emphasized that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever, and by whomever committed.
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The attackers were reportedly jihadists based in forests around the Borgu region who previously preached in Woro and had ordered residents to embrace their version of Sharia. Amnesty International reported they sent letters and pamphlets to Woro two weeks before the attack. The attackers sent another letter to the village’s head five months prior, informing him they intended to preach in the village. The last warning letter, delivered in January, was addressed by Boko Haram under its formal name and its leader in Lake Chad, Bakura Doro.
President Tinubu called the attack “particularly disturbing” because the victims were killed for resisting “an attempt at forced indoctrination”. He said the attackers were “heartless” and vowed that they would be brought to justice. Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq called it a “brutal and deliberate massacre” motivated by extremism rather than banditry. He visited Woro and Nuku on 4 February, where he described the massacre as a genocide.
Reports on the allegiance of the perpetrators varied, with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu blaming Boko Haram, and local House of Representatives member Mohammed Omar Bio blaming the Islamic State-linked Lakurawa.
The divergence in attribution reflects ongoing uncertainty about which militant group exercised operational command over the assault, though the tactics and ideological justification offered by survivors are consistent with patterns documented in attacks carried out by both organizations.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the terrorist attack of 3 February, in Kwara State, Nigeria, which reportedly killed over 100 people. The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Nigeria. UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a separate statement immediately following the attacks, stressing the importance of bringing perpetrators to justice and reiterating the solidarity of the United Nations with Nigeria in its efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
The United States Department of State condemned the “horrific” attack and offered its condolences. Turkey also condemned the attack and vowed to continue supporting Nigeria in its operations against terrorism. The international response underscored the broader regional and security implications of the assault, which occurred in an area that had not previously experienced violence on such a scale. The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and the people of Nigeria, and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured as well as the safe return of those abducted.
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The Security Council’s statement does not propose specific measures or authorize new interventions, leaving implementation of accountability mechanisms to Nigerian authorities and voluntary cooperation from member states. No timeline for further Security Council action was indicated.
