More than 162 people were killed in a brutal attack on two villages in Kwara state, Nigeria, after residents refused to “surrender to extremists who preached a strange doctrine,” according to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Officials blamed the Islamist group Boko Haram for the assault on the villages of Woro and Nuku. Local leaders and aid groups estimated the death toll could range from 162 to over 170 as more bodies are recovered. Amnesty International reported that some victims were shot at close range and others burned alive.
In addition to the killings, at least 38 people were abducted, homes and shops were set ablaze, and many residents fled. A lawmaker said the violence followed the community’s rejection of the group’s strict interpretation of Islam after militants reportedly announced plans to enter the area to preach.
