By Victor Itodo Abuh
HUMAN rights organisation, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), has accused the federal government of presiding over a deepening security collapse following the killing of at least 162 people in Woro and Nuku villages of Kwara State.
In a statement issued on Saturday, CHRICED described the February 3 attacks as a “massacre” allegedly carried out by members of the Islamist sect Lakurawa, warning that Nigeria is exhibiting clear signs of a failing state.
According to the organisation, the attackers stormed the two communities in the afternoon and operated for several hours, burning homes and killing residents until the next day, without any immediate intervention from security agencies.
“Eyewitness accounts indicate that the attackers began their assault around 3 p.m. and continued unchallenged through the night,” CHRICED said. “Security forces reportedly arrived only after the carnage was complete.”
The group said the absence of a timely response from the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS) or other agencies raises serious concerns about preparedness, coordination and possible internal failures within Nigeria’s security architecture.
CHRICED held the federal government responsible for what it described as a persistent inability to protect rural communities or prevent mass violence, arguing that armed groups now dictate the pace of national security while authorities react only after lives have been lost.
The organisation also criticised the Kwara State Government for allegedly downplaying the scale of the killings by putting the death toll at 75, contrary to community accounts which, it said, confirm more than 162 fatalities.
“In moments of national grief, truth must not be sacrificed,” the statement said, adding that minimising casualties dishonours victims, undermines public trust and obstructs justice.
CHRICED linked the Kwara killings to similar incidents across northern Nigeria, citing a 2025 attack on a girls’ secondary school in Kebbi State, where bandits abducted students and killed a vice principal after what the state governor claimed was a prior withdrawal of military personnel. The organisation noted that the military has yet to publicly release findings from its investigation into that incident.
It also referenced the November 2025 attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, where residents complained of delayed security response, as well as coordinated attacks on churches in Kajuru, Kaduna State, which authorities initially denied before acknowledging days later.
“These recurring failures point to systemic weaknesses, operational negligence or even possible sabotage within the security system,” CHRICED said.
The group warned that the growing practice of communities paying levies to armed groups for protection represents a dangerous erosion of state authority and legitimacy.
“In several northern communities, residents are now compelled to negotiate their safety with non-state actors while still expected to fulfil their obligations to a government they no longer trust to protect them,” the statement added.
CHRICED further condemned what it described as the continuation of intense political activities despite widespread insecurity, arguing that preparations for the 2027 elections appear to be taking precedence over the protection of lives.
As part of its recommendations, the organisation called for an independent investigation into the Kwara massacre, comprehensive security sector reforms, a shift toward intelligence-driven operations against terrorist networks and compensation and psychosocial support for victims and affected communities.
The statement was signed by CHRICED’s Executive Director, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, who urged the media, civil society, and religious and traditional leaders to intensify efforts to demand accountability and resist what he called the “normalisation of violence” in Nigeria.
