Deadly Kwara massacre exposes Nigeria’s worsening security crisis

Nigeria is reeling after one of its deadliest attacks in recent months. Gunmen stormed a village in Kwara State, killing at least 162 people, according to the Red Cross, as search teams continue to recover bodies. The massacre has once again highlighted the country’s deepening crisis of insecurity.

Security experts say the violence reflects a complex and overlapping threat environment. Taiwo Adebayo, a security analyst based in Abuja, describes Nigeria as being caught in a “conflict trap,” with multiple armed actors operating simultaneously across different regions, complicating the response of security forces.

Nigeria has battled a 16-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, while deadly farmer–herder clashes persist in the north-central region. But analysts warn these conflicts represent only part of a broader security breakdown. Ethnic militias have also fueled violence, including clashes between indigenous groups such as the Jukun and Tiv along the Taraba–Benue border.

Concerns are also mounting along Nigeria’s border with Benin Republic, where rising bandit activity has turned a once-localized problem into a national security threat. Poorly monitored forest corridors, including areas around Kainji National Park, provide safe havens for armed groups.

Once a peaceful gateway, the border corridor has seen a surge in violence, with massacres claiming over 100 lives, threatening a key transport artery that feeds the Southwest’s industrial and consumer markets.