*Boko Haram Video Sparks Controversy With State Govt
*Besieged Emir Reportedly Loses Two Wives
The seeming unrelenting bloodletting by terrorists continued early today as armed assailants, believed to be Boko Haram fighters, on motorcycles reportedly killed at least 30 people and burned houses and shops during raids on three villages in Niger State, residents who escaped the violence told Reuters.
The attacks on villages in the Borgu Local Government Area (LGA), near the border with Benin Republic, and parts of Agwara LGA, are part of a surge in attacks blamed on “bandits” who have carried out deadly assaults, abductions for ransom, and displaced communities across northern Nigeria.
Insecurity is a pressing concern in Nigeria and the government is under mounting pressure to restore stability, Reuters adds.
Niger State Police Command spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the attack in one of the villages.
“Suspected bandits invaded Tunga-Makeri village, six persons lost their lives, some houses were also set ablaze and a yet-to-be ascertained number of persons were abducted,” Abiodun said.
He added that the assailants had moved on to Konkoso village, while details of other attacks remained unclear.
A resident of Konkoso, Jeremiah Timothy, who fled to a nearby locality, said the attack on his village began in the early hours with sporadic gunfire.
“At least 26 people were killed so far in the village after they set the police station ablaze,” said Timothy, adding that the attackers entered Konkoso around 6am, shooting indiscriminately.
He said residents heard military jets flying overhead.
Another witness, who requested anonymity, said the attackers, riding more than 200 motorcycles, swept through the area targeting the villages.
A resident of Tunga-Makeri, Auwal Ibrahim, recounted the early-morning assault on his village.
“The bandits stormed our town around 3am (local time), riding so many motorcycles while shooting sporadically, beheading six people and killing others. They set shops on fire and forced the whole village to flee,” Ibrahim said.
He added that many villagers fear returning as the gunmen remain nearby.
Reporting on same incidents, renowned security journalist and analyst, Comrade Zakari Y. Adamu Kontogora, who shared the disturbing matter on his Facebook page, posted that the attackers moved from village to village, shooting residents and setting homes on fire.
He quoted security forces who spoke to his newspaper as saying that at least 21 people were confirmed dead after the gunmen stormed Konkoso community.
The sources added that the attackers also invaded nearby villages, including Pissa, Zango and Tungan Maƙeri.
Several people were reportedly killed, while houses and shops were burnt during the raids.
Boko Haram Terrorists Parade Over 100 Abducted Victims In Kwara Community
Meanwhile, a report by Sahara Reporters said suspected Boko Haram terrorists, formally known as Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, have released a disturbing video in which they paraded 176 abducted victims—including women, children and a nursing mother — allegedly seized from Woro community in Kaiama LGA of Kwara State.
In the video which the paper claimed it has obtained, one of the terrorists is seen interrogating the captives, asking them to state where they were kidnapped.
Responding in Hausa language, three women, including a nursing mother, answered one after the other that they were abducted at Woro community in Kaiama LGA of Kwara State.
The footage showed dozens of women and children standing in rows, many of them visibly distressed.
Their clothes appeared dirty and worn, while several of the children were seen without trousers, underscoring the harsh conditions under which they are being held.
While parading the victims, one of the terrorists openly accused the Kwara State government of deliberately misleading Nigerians and the international community over the scale of the abductions.
According to the terrorist in the video, the state government lied by claiming that only between 20 and 30 people were kidnapped, when, he said, the number of captives in their custody stood at 176, Sahara Reporters reported.
“The Kwara State government lied to Nigeria and to the whole world,” the terrorist alleged, insisting that the number of abducted persons was far higher than officially acknowledged.
The video has stirred renewed fears over the security situation in Kaiama Local Government Area, particularly in Kwara North and south Senatorial district that residents say remain vulnerable to attacks by armed groups operating across the state.
Reacting, the State government condemned the video and stated that more efforts were being made to safeguard people’s lives and property.
On 4 February, 2026, news outlets reported that dozens of people were brutally massacred following a coordinated and deadly attack by suspected Sahel-backed terrorists on Woro community.
The paper said among those killed in the bloody onslaught are two wives of the Emir of Woro, Alhaji Saliu Bio Umar, several of his children, the Chief Imam of Woro, a school principal, a headmistress, and students who had just returned home from school.
It said the Emir himself is currently missing, sparking fears that he may have been abducted or killed by the attackers.
SaharaReporters said it gathered that the terrorists are allegedly linked to a Sadiku-led Boko Haram faction with suspected operational ties to terrorist networks operating across the Sahel region.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Razed houses, typical destruction by terrorists (File photo).
