- Security expert Kabir Adamu has linked the Kwara killings to a complex ecosystem of armed groups
- Recent jihadist attacks in Kwara highlight escalating violence along the Niger-Kwara axis
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government denies systematic persecution of Christians amid rising insecurity
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters and counter-insurgency in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja – Kabir Adamu, a renowned security expert, has said an ecosystem made up of multiple armed groups is responsible for the Kwara killings.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, February 9, monitored by Legit.ng, Adamu warned against viewing Nigeria’s security challenges in a “disaggregated” manner.
Source: Twitter
Kwara killings: Expert speaks on perpetrators
He said:
“It is not a case of either or. It is an ecospace that consists of several groups. The bandits are there, the terrorist groups are there. So, as an example, we know that a group affiliated with Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which is the Sahel-based Al-Qaeda affiliated group, which has claimed an attack in Kwara State.
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“We also know that the Mahmudawa group, which was formed by a certain person called Mahmuda, who had training in Libya. The good thing is that he has been arrested.
“There are indications that Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) has an active cell in parts of Niger and Kwara states.”
The X video can be watched below:
Recently, jihadist fighters killed 170 people in Woro, Kwara, in a shocking attack.
The assault on Woro village was the deadliest in recent times in the state bordering Niger. With this hotspot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other armed groups have stepped up village attacks and mass kidnappings.
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Photo credit: Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq
Source: Facebook
The violence highlights fears that jihadist factions from the north are pushing south along the Niger-Kwara axis toward the Kainji forest, which security analysts warn could become their next stronghold.
Nigeria under scrutiny after US strikes
Nigeria has come under scrutiny after US President Donald Trump accused it in 2025 of failing to protect Christians amid Islamist attacks and mass kidnappings. U.S. forces struck what they described as terrorist targets on December 25, 2025.
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President Bola Tinubu’s government says it is working with America to improve security and denies any systematic persecution of Christians.
Tinubu said the new military unit would stem further attacks and protect remote communities. He condemned the attack as “cowardly and barbaric,” saying the gunmen targeted villagers who had rejected attempts to impose extremist rule.
Read more Kwara State news:
Kwara bandits kill vigilantes
Legit.ng earlier reported that residents of Lade and surrounding communities in Patigi and Edu LGAs of Kwara state were gripped with fear following a wave of deadly attacks by armed bandits that have left three local vigilantes dead, scores of security operatives injured, and over 100 cattle stolen.
The assaults occurred in two separate but closely-linked incidents.
Source: Legit.ng