Jihadist militants have slaughtered more than 170 villagers in Nigeria’s Kwara State after residents refused demands to submit to Sharia law.

This brutal attack highlights the ongoing threat of radical Islamism in Africa.

The assault occurred in remote villages near the Niger border.

Islamists, linked to groups like Islamic State West Africa Province, invaded and ordered villagers to embrace Sharia. When refused, they bound and executed residents. Local lawmaker Saidu Baba Ahmed said:

Residents were rounded up, with their hands bound behind their backs before being shot and executed.”

The death toll reached 170, with 162 confirmed by the International Red Cross. Amnesty International called it a “stunning security failure,” noting prior warnings. Survivors described escalations from sermons to massacre.

President Bola Tinubu condemned the “cowardly” act, deploying troops. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq labeled it terrorist frustration. No claim of responsibility, but ties to Boko Haram or ISIS suspected.

This follows a pattern of jihadist violence in Nigeria, including a recent attack in Katsina killing 21. The ideological motive echoes tactics in Afghanistan and the Middle East.