More than 160 people have been killed in coordinated attacks on Woro and Nuku villages in Kaima Local Government Area of Kwara State, marking one of Nigeria’s deadliest assaults this year.

The death toll stood at 162 as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Mohammed Omar Bio, the lawmaker representing the area.

He said the attacks were carried out on Tuesday by the Lakurawa, an armed group linked to the Islamic State, although no group has officially claimed responsibility.

According to local sources, gunmen stormed the villages, rounded up residents, tied their hands behind their backs and executed them. Homes and shops were also set ablaze during the assault.

A Kaiama-based politician, Saidu Baba Ahmed, said many residents fled into surrounding bushland with gunshot wounds, while several people, including the village’s traditional ruler, were still missing.

Residents told reporters that the attacks were jihadists who had previously preached in the communities and demanded that villagers abandon allegiance to the Nigerian state and adopt Sharia law. When locals resisted, the gunmen reportedly opened fire.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the killings, describing them as a “cowardly” act by terrorist cells responding to intensified military operations in the area.

Kwara borders Niger State, where armed groups have expanded their activities in recent years. The Nigerian military has said it recently launched sustained operations against terrorist element in the region.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, gunmen also killed at least 13 people in Doma village, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, according to police, highlighting the continuing wave of violence across northern Nigeria.

-9News Nigeria.