Dozens of Muslims in Nigeria were “massacred” for not joining terrorists by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.

According to the governor of the western Nigerian state of Kwara, dozens of people were slain in a vicious shooting attack on two villages after they refused to “surrender to extremists who preached a strange doctrine”. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq claimed on X that “75 local Muslims were massacred” during Tuesday’s assault, while a state lawmaker stated that 78 people had been buried thus far and that the death toll may increase to an estimated 170 as more bodies were being found.

President Bola Tinubu sent an army brigade to the area, blaming the killings on the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. The attack was one of dozens that have occurred in Nigeria in recent days.

Saidu Baba Ahmed, a member of the Kwara state house of assembly, stated that in addition to the murders in the villages of Woro and Nuku, 38 people were kidnapped, others fled, and houses and shops were set on fire.

He said that Boko Haram activities had been steadily rising in the region and that the community’s rejection of a rigid interpretation of Islam was what set off the attack.

According to Ahmed, the Islamist group had written to the community about their visit and stated that they intended to preach, but the locals objected and local security personnel were called in.Over 170 people had perished, according to a statement from Amnesty International, which also noted that several had been burned alive and that many had been shot at close range.

The human rights organization stated that there was a “stunning absence of any form of security for the protection of lives” and demanded an investigation.Jihadists, who are thought to be members of a Boko Haram breakaway group, have been active in Kwara in recent months. They have been carrying out targeted killings, frequently riding in on motorbikes, and attacking marketplaces and vigilante organizations that were established to defend the locals.

The state governor claimed in a press release on Wednesday that recent counterterrorism operations in the area were the cause of the attack on the two communities. Additionally, an attack on Doma hamlet in the northern Katsina state on Tuesday resulted in the deaths of twenty-one persons. The same day, suspected Boko Haram insurgents carried out a series of attacks that claimed the lives of 17 persons.

The attacks coincide with Nigeria’s first formal recognition of an American military deployment since US President Donald Trump directed the armed forces to get ready to fight Islamist extremist groups in Nigeria in November.

The size, arrival date, location, and length of stay of the delegation were not disclosed by Nigerian Defense Minister Chrisopher Musa.For many years, Nigerian and US soldiers have collaborated on training exercises and programs. However, the US military has recently increased its involvement, attacking two camps in the northwest operated by the extremist group Lakurawa on Christmas Day.

The White House put pressure on Nigeria’s government to enhance security and fortify safeguards for Christian communities at the end of last year.