ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Gunmen killed scores of people during an attack on two villages in Western Nigeria in one of the deadliest assaults in the West African country in recent months.

The attack on Tuesday evening targeted the neighboring villages of Woro and Nuku, in Kwara state. A lawmaker who represents the area said that at least 162 people were killed, while Amnesty International said the gunmen killed over 170 people, razed homes and looted shops. The rights group deplored “a stunning security failure.”

There has been a surge of deadly attacks and kidnappings by Islamic militants and armed gangs in Nigeria in recent months, as the country’s overstretched military has struggled to contain an array of security challenges.

Here’s what to know about the deadly attacks.

Nigeria faces overlapping security crises

Nigeria is in the grip of a complex security crisis, including an insurgency by Islamic militants and a surge in kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs.

For years, so-called “bandits” have mainly been active in northwestern Nigeria, but they have recently been moving to other parts of the country including Kwara state.

Islamic militants have also been increasingly active in Kwara as a decades-long insurgency, which until recently mostly affected northeastern Nigeria, has spilled over to western and central regions.

The most notorious are the homegrown jihadis Boko Haram, who took up arms in 2009 to fight Western education and impose their radical version of Islamic law. Boko Haram killed at least 36 people in northeastern Nigeria last week during separate attacks.

Other extremist armed groups in Nigeria also include at least two affiliated with the Islamic State: a Boko Haram offshoot known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, and the Islamic State Sahel Province, known locally as Lakurawa, which is mostly prominent in the northwest.

Extremist groups suspected of being behind the attacks

No group has claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attacks.

Mohammed Omar Bio, the area’s representative in parliament, said the attacks were carried out by the Islamic State group-affiliated Lakurawa.

James Barnett, a researcher at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, said the attack was more likely perpetrated by the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, a Boko Haram faction that has been responsible for other recent massacres in the area.

Kwara State Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said Tuesday’s attack was likely carried out in response to recent counter-terrorism operations in the region.

AbdulRazaq said the attack was an attempt to distract security forces “who have successfully hunted down several terrorist and kidnapping gangs across many parts of the state.”

Attacks come as US intensifies response to the security crisis

The attacks came days after the United States took military action against armed groups in Nigeria.

On Tuesday, the head of U.S. Africa Command said the United States had sent a small team of military officers to Nigeria. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson said the deployment came at Nigeria’s request and was focused on intelligence support.

Nigeria has been in the diplomatic crosshairs of the U.S. in recent months following threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to attack the country, alleging it is not doing enough to protect its Christian citizens.

While Christians have been among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.

But the diplomatic tensions have since been reworked into cooperation between the two countries. In December, U.S. forces launched airstrikes on IS-affiliated militants in Nigeria.

Last month, Nigeria’s government said the U.S. has pledged to deliver outstanding military equipment purchased by the country over the past five years, including drones and helicopters. Some of the equipment was delayed in recent years over concerns about possible human rights abuses by Nigeria’s security forces.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

The signals at the crossroads of Bradshawgate, Manchester Road, Trinity Street and Bridgeman Place are not working this morning, February 5.

Traffic could be seen at around 8.45am struggling to pass the junction from all directions, with drivers having to give way to each other, sometimes at the last minute.

Traffic lights (Image: Newsquest)

The Bolton News has contacted Bolton Council for comment on this incident and when it is expected to clear.

If you see a traffic light junction which is down, approach with extreme caution and only proceed when it is safe.

“When Brooky came in,” Root said of his captain. “He went through the gears and showed exactly what he is capable of doing. You saw his full array of shots, his ability and it’s a joy to watch from the other end.”

After a difficult recent period for Brook, in which he has spoken about the need to “regain the trust” of his team-mates following his altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, to score a match-winning century in a series decider is well-timed and fitting for a player of his ability.

So too is the series win a feather in the cap for his blossoming captaincy. England had not won an overseas ODI tour since beating Bangladesh in 2023 and across their last 17 ODIs they had won only five. By contrast, Sri Lanka have been close to unbeatable at home in recent years, winning 11 and drawing one of their last 12 series.

“I think he’s been excellent in every aspect,” Root said of Brook’s captaincy. “He’s grown throughout the three games and he didn’t panic tonight when they got off to an absolute flyer.

“It’s easy to do when you’re on top but when a team throws a few punches back at you to stay calm and manage it like he did was another example of why I think he’s going to be an excellent captain in white-ball cricket… I think he’s gone a long way to earning that trust back, he certainly has in the dressing room.”

The win also gives England much-needed world ranking points, with their recent record leaving them languishing in eighth place and at risk of failing to qualify automatically for the ODI World Cup in 2027.

Along with Root, who passed fifty for the third time this series on his way to a 20th ODI century, the pair lifted England to a fantastic total of 357 for three with a partnership of 191 from 113 deliveries.

But as so often feels the case with Brook, the two most common questions that spring to mind when watching him are first, “How does he do that?” Then shortly after, “And why has he done that?”

Upon reaching three figures, Brook appeared to replicate a “beer smash” celebration that was initially made famous by a WWE wrestler named Stone Cold Steve Austin.

EcoJet Airlines, an electric airline, has appointed liquidators following a reported bid to raise £20 million.

A Scots airline has ceased all operations with liquidators appointed by a court.

EcoJet Airlines, an electric airline, has appointed liquidators following a reported bid to raise £20 million. The firm was launched in 2023 by Entrepreneur Dale Vince, who is also a prominent Labour Party donor.

It planned an Edinburgh to Southampton route with mainland Europe and long-haul flights for the future. Speaking at the time of launch, Mr Vince said: “This is a vital frontier in the move to net zero, green living, whatever you choose to call it – and it’s absolutely doable. It’s a matter of when not if.”

However, documents show a petition was brought to Edinburgh Sheriff Court “craving the court that Ecojet Airlines Limited be wound up by the court and joint interim liquidators appointed”. The Herald reports that Paul Dounis and Mark Harper, of Opus Restructuring were appointed provisional liquidators.

Opus said the move followed a “voluntary liquidation initiated by the company’s board”.

It added: “EcoJet was a start-up business and has no material assets. The members have elected to fund the liquidation process to ensure that the company’s employees receive their full statutory entitlements.”

EcoJet Airlines was previously hailed as “the world’s first electric airline”. Ecotricity said on its website at the time of the launch: “The move marks the beginning of an aviation revolution by making net-zero, emission-free air travel possible for the first time.”

It added: “EcoJet’s fleet will comprise conventional planes retrofitted with hydrogen-electric powertrains. Once converted, the aircraft will operate with the same power output as before, but with a one-hundred percent reduction in CO2 emissions.

“The decision to repurpose old planes rather than build new models from scratch will save 90,000 tonnes of carbon per year. The only byproduct will be water, which can be captured and released into the lower atmosphere to avoid the harmful effects of contrails.”

Mr Vince gave Labour £5.5m in multiple donations between 2022 and 2024.

The genuinely impressive Super Bright light from Exposure is the headlamp I’d buy for my bicycle if I ever went on the long adventures I plan in my head. As it stands, I rarely cycle further than the supermarket, and this extra-bright version of the Strada MK12 (reviewed above) is overkill.

At 1,700 lumens, it feels like the headlamp on a small motorcycle, properly lighting up paths that are otherwise pitch black. Like the RS we tested, the SB has several modes and a handy remote button that plugs into the charging port.

The shape of the beam, which has been made to resemble that of a car headlight, provides excellent forward illumination while also making your position known to cars far away – useful if you plan to ride on rural B-roads, less so if you live in the suburbs.

For casual users, this is too powerful and expensive, but for serious cyclists in need of better illumination of dark roads, it’s difficult to beat even at this price point. 

With a reputation for reliability and build quality, Exposure’s exemplary customer service and British-built robustness is worth investing in if you expect to rely on this light in treacherous situations.

Key specifications

• Output (max): 1,700 lumens
• Beam: Road-optimised (narrow and wide)
• Run time: Up to 36 hours
• Power: USB-C rechargeable
• Water resistance: IP65

Iain Booker had likely ‘fallen a number of times’

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Tributes have been paid to a “much‑loved and respected” teacher following his sudden death caused by a severe brain injury.

Iain Booker, 52, of Clayton West, was regarded as a “cornerstone” of his West Yorkshire school, where he spent nearly three decades, becoming known as a favourite among pupils, leading much‑anticipated ski trips with what colleagues called his “infectious enthusiasm”.

An inquest in Bradford heard that Mr Booker suffered an acute subdural haematoma, a severe brain injury believed by assistant coroner Peter Merchant to have resulted from a fall. His death was recorded as accidental, reports Yorkshire Live.

The Huddersfield teacher was discovered unresponsive at his home in the early hours of November 26 last year, having recently taken time away from work due to ill health.

Iain was described as kind, loving, generous and caring in a heartfelt message from his wife, Jayne, who also referenced his passion for sports such as rugby, cricket, cycling, squash and following Huddersfield Town.

His family told police they feared he had been “secretly drinking” and appeared to have had some issues after an officer attended the home on November 26, but suspicious circumstances were ruled out in their findings.

A post-mortem examination determined that Iain’s death arose from the head injury, but with alcohol-related liver cirrhosis as a contributory cause. A pathologist said there was evidence that Iain had fallen a number of times and it was possible that he had suffered a seizure.

Tests showed there was no alcohol present in his system at the time of his death. Outwood Academy in Hemsworth, near Pontefract, paid tribute to Iain in a statement made by principal James Pape.

“Iain was a cornerstone of our school for nearly 30 years,” the headteacher described. “To many, he was more than just a teacher; he was a mentor, a coach, and a constant source of encouragement. Having served our community for such a significant length of time, Iain holds the rare distinction of having taught multiple generations of the same families.

“He was a familiar face not just in the corridors of the Academy, but across the wider Hemsworth community. We know that many of you – students, parents and members of our community – will have your own fond memories of Iain.

“Whether it was his competitiveness and passion on the sidelines of countless sports fixtures, or his infectious enthusiasm while leading school ski trips, his dedication to giving our students the best opportunities outside the classroom was unwavering.

“His loss will be felt deeply by his colleagues, many of whom have worked alongside him for decades, and by the students he championed every day.”

Mr Pape added that the school’s “thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with Iain’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”

Savannah Guthrie said: “Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She’s funny, spunky and clever. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses. She loves fun and adventure. She is a devoted friend. She ‌is full of kindness and knowledge. Talk to her and you’ll see.”

Premier League Darts returns this week, with over 150,000 people set to attend the biggest ever edition of the event.

Much has changed since the Premier League began in 2005 and Phil Taylor beat Colin Lloyd in the final to £50,000 top prize.

Last year Luke Humphries lifted the trophy and claimed £275,000, with runner-up Luke Littler having to settle for £125,000.

Gone are venues like Wellsprings Centre, Taunton and Glades Arena, Kidderminster, with sell outs now at the 3Arena, Dublin, Uber Arena, Berlin and now the AFAS Dome, Antwerp.

It has always been a huge deal for players to make it into the field, but more so now than ever with the rewards on offer.

The eight-man field this time round caused some controversy as fans debated who should have made the cut and who was lucky to do so.

Humphries, Littler, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting were the chosen octet.

PDC chief executive Matt Porter talks to Metro about those picks, growth of the event, criticism of the format and plenty more.

How Premier League selection was made

‘It tends to happen towards the back end of the World Championship. It’s funny when people talk about it in September and October because they’re talking about it way before we are. There’s so much water to pass under the bridge.

‘We look at rankings, form, personality and popularity, on-stage presence, but it’s a whole package. It’s not fair when people say, “oh, he’s only in because of his walk-on” or something like that. That’s just not the case.

‘We look at every aspect of what a player can deliver, what a player can bring to the table. And the nature of the beast is that it’s never going to be universally agreed with, which is good because it means people have got opinions and if you’ve got opinions then they care.’

Who just made it and narrowly missed out

Bunting was the most controversial pick, having finished last in the tournament in 2025 and suffering a shock early exit from the World Championship.

Porter explains: ‘Stephen probably didn’t finish the year as strongly as he’d wanted, but he was world-ranked number seven. He won six tournaments across the year. He’s a popular player and we felt that jettisoning him after one year probably wasn’t the right thing to do.

‘It did mean a couple of other players could consider themselves unlucky. Danny Noppert was probably the one who would have the most cause to say he could have been in it and he had a very valid case and he was very, very unlucky not to be selected.

‘Everyone’s in consideration, but obviously only to a point. James [Wade] started the year really, really well, then faded away. He was runner-up at the UK [Open], runner-up at the World Matchplay and then had a more disappointing year after that, first round defeats in four tournament and two quarter-finals. So there were players who outperformed him in the second half of the year.’

A change in Premier League format?

‘We will change it at some point, but at the moment you can only look at the numbers that are in front of you. The live crowd and the TV audience, the numbers are telling us that the format is working. If people stop buying tickets or start changing the channel then it wouldn’t be working, but every metric is improving.

‘It’s not a format that will keep forever because we never keep any format forever in the Premier League. The format must have changed half a dozen times in the 20 years of the event. But at the moment, it’s still the right format, we believe, for what we’ve got.’

‘There is a lot of repetition’

16-time world champion Phil Taylor suggested the repeated contests over the Premier League dims the drama of rivalries, telling Online Darts: ‘You need it, you need rivalry, you do. But you don’t need that rivalry week in and week out.

‘Me and Raymond (van Barneveld). That was exciting when we were going to play each other. Sky even had a countdown. But once we had the Premier League and he was in it and I was in it, we were playing week in and week out. So it becomes a bit less.

‘Manchester United versus Liverpool is exciting, but if they did it every other week, it wouldn’t be as exciting.’

Porter tells Metro: ‘I would accept that that is the biggest criticism of it. There is a lot of repetition.

‘But you’re looking at it through the eyes of somebody who’s perhaps watching it on TV every week. If you’re in Nottingham, you want to see Littler vs Humphries, and if you’re in Aberdeen, you might want to see the same, and if you’re in Brighton, you might want to see the same. It’s very difficult to turn around to people and say, “oh, sorry, you can’t see the biggest matchup in your city.”

‘Actually the nature of the bracket with those short format games, you should get enough variety in it anyway. But clearly with the same eight players playing each other over 16 weeks, there is going to be some repetition. I don’t remember many tennis fans complaining about watching Federer versus Nadal.’

The Premier League’s biggest year ever

‘It’s been a sold out event for a few years, but the numbers will be bigger this year because we’ve added Antwerp to the roster. That replaced Exeter, so that’s a bigger venue.

‘Over 150,000 people. It’s our biggest event in terms of ticket sales. We identified Antwerp because of the growth of darts in Belgium over the last few years and we’re not a UK company, we’re a global company, so the sport needs to be spread.’

The PDC’s Saudi debut

Last month the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters was played for the first time, in a very different atmosphere and environment to the ones we will see in the Premier League.

‘It was obviously an interesting, interesting place to do an event for the first time,’ said Porter. ‘Different to our other events, the crowd was obviously a little bit more restrained, but nevertheless, they enjoyed it. There was a lot of local interest. We were very well looked after. It went as well as we’d have hoped.’

‘Each of the players would have taken to it differently. They knew what to expect. And obviously they get the chance to go out and play on the stage before the crowd come in so they could see the size of the arenas, perhaps not as big as they’d been used to in other events. But they’re playing exhibitions in those sort of size arenas and they’re perfectly capable of adapting. Some can adapt more easily than others.’

Will there be more darts in Saudi Arabia? ‘I think one event in any sort of developing country is right. So no, there wouldn’t be any more than that. No.’

A £5m winner’s prize at the World Championship

Matchroom president Barry Hearn told The Sun: ‘I look at darts now and I think, OK, we’ve done well — £25million prize money, £1m for the winner.

‘So the next target is to get to £100m prize money with £5m to the winner.’

Porter responds: ‘I think the key thing is that you never rule anything out. Who’d have thought 10 years ago we’d be paying £1m to the winner of the World Championship?

‘As the sport keeps growing, then we’ll keep delivering across not just the world championship, but every other event. We’ve raised prize money across the board for this year. £25,000,000 in total. One day it’d be great to get it to 50 million, 75 million, 100 million. All we can do is just keep growing it and the market will react and tell us to the level that we can get to.’

A ‘frightening’ next generation of darts star

‘The talent base is frightening. The number of teenagers who are throwing 100 averages, 9 dart finishes is remarkable.

‘And it’s definitely a young person’s sport now and I think you’ll see that with the emergence of more talent from the JDC and the Development Tour over the coming years.

‘We have a fascinating spreadsheet, which I enjoy looking at every year, which shows the average age of our players, not only our tour card holders, but then our top 8 top 16, top 32, top 64, etcc. And it just drops every year.

‘It’s a sport that young people are coming into because there’s a genuine career path and it’s a sport that they, you know, they can get into from any background, wherever they’re from. There’s very few barriers to entry and that means that natural talent is really the only, only denominator.’

25 years working with Barry Hearn

From Leyton Orient press officer in 2001 to his position as PDC chief executive today, it has been quite a journey for Porter.

‘Every day is a different challenge,’ he said. ‘We’ve grown so much and so organically, you kind of take it in your stride, but the schedule is so relentless that there isn’t really always time to sit back and reflect.

‘But it’s been an amazing journey. This is my 25th year working for Barry and if I look at where we are now as a company compared to where we were in 2001, it’s a remarkable transformation.

‘I think it’s testimony to the events and the players who played in them, that they’ve been so popular with fans and that’s enabled us to get to this stage. We haven’t reinvented the wheel, we’ve just delivered products that the people want to engage with and enjoy. And at the moment, that’s going really well.’

MORE: Saudi Arabia Darts Masters to feature huge-money ‘bullseye challenge’ prize

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MORE: Luke Littler reveals how he’ll spend winnings after World Darts Championship win

Vladimir Motin had been on sole watch duty when the Solong collided with the Stena Immaculate last year, killing crew member Mark Angelo Pernia.

A Russian sea captain is due to be sentenced later for killing a crew member when his ship crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Yorkshire.

Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg had been on sole watch duty when the Solong collided with the Stena Immaculate anchored near the Humber Estuary on the morning of March 10, 2025.

The ship had left Grangemouth in Scotland the night before. Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, from the Philippines, who was working on the Solong’s bow, died instantly in the fire, although his body was never recovered.

He had a five-year-old child at the time of the collision, but he never met his second child, who was born two months after his death.

After an Old Bailey trial, a jury deliberated for eight hours to find Motin guilty of his manslaughter by gross negligence on Monday. He will be sentenced by Mr Justice Baker on Thursday.

Previously, the court heard the Solong, which was 130 metres long and weighed 7,852 gross tonnes, had left Grangemouth at 9.05pm on March 9 bound for the port of Rotterdam in Holland.

With a 14-strong crew, it was carrying mainly alcoholic spirits and some hazardous substances, including empty but unclean sodium cyanide containers.

The Stena Immaculate, with a crew of 23, was 183.2 metres long and was transporting more than 220,000 barrels of JetA1 high-grade aviation fuel from Greece to the UK. With both ships laden with flammable cargo, the danger in the event of a collision was obvious, jurors were told.

Motin was responsible for multiple failures in the lead-up to the tragedy and then lied about what took place on the bridge, it was alleged.

The Stena Immaculate was visible on the Solong’s radar display for 36 minutes before impact, yet Motin did nothing to steer away from the collision course, the prosecution said.

He failed to summon help, slow down, sound the alarm to alert crews of both ships, or instigate a crash stop as a last resort, the prosecution said.

Dramatic CCTV footage captured the moment both ships were consumed in a massive blaze ignited by leaking fuel from the Stena Immaculate.

The shocked crew aboard the US tanker reacted instantly, saying: “Holy s***… what just hit us… a container ship… this is no drill, this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision.”

Jurors heard a lengthy silence from the bridge of the Solong before it crashed into the oil tanker at a speed of 15.2 knots. A full minute elapsed before Motin was heard to react.

Motin and the remaining Solong crew abandoned ship and were taken ashore in Grimsby where the defendant messaged his wife, saying he would be “guilty”.

In his defence, Motin denied he had been asleep or had left his post on the bridge. He told jurors that he held off taking action when he saw the Stena Immaculate dead ahead because it was moving slowly but unpredictably.

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He said he then made a “mistake” and pressed the wrong button when he tried to take the Solong out of autopilot and steer away from one nautical mile away.

Not realising the error, he told jurors that he proceeded to stop and restart the steering gear to no effect, thinking the Solong could have developed a rudder fault experienced by sister ship, Sanskip Express.

Motin said he decided against a crash stop because he feared the Solong would collide with the accommodation block, killing the American tanker crew.

The prosecution suggested Motin had lied about what happened to “get back to his wife” in Russia and gave differing accounts to police and jurors.

Jurors heard he had switched off the Solong’s bridge navigation watch alert system (BNWAS), which was designed to ensure there is someone physically on the bridge and awake.

The prosecution said Motin’s failures were “exceptionally bad, they amount to gross negligence”.

This comes after the government announced an expansion of the Victims’ Right to Review Scheme, which will begin with areas across the North West like Bolton.

This will mean more suspected victims of rape and serious sexual assaults will have the right to have their cases reviewed by a different prosecutor before a decision to drop them is taken.

Bolton North East MP Kirith Entwistle said: “Violence against women and girls is a national emergency.

“A key part of our government’s VAWG strategy is to ensure that victims in Bolton are given better support, to help rebuild trust in the criminal justice system.

Kirith Entwistle MP has welcomed the scheme (Image: Office of Kirith Entwistle MP)

“We are taking action to keep women and girls safe, whether it’s through supporting victims, apprehending abusers or stopping violence before it starts.

“This announcement is an important step to ensure women’s voices are heard.”

The scheme is being expanded after an initial pilot and was brought to the CPS North West area in January this year.

Other CPS areas like Yorkshire and Humberside are expected to follow in early February with Wales following on in April.

National CPS lead for rape and serious sexual offences Siobhan Blake said: “For survivors of rape and sexual offences, the possibility that their abuser may never face justice can be deeply distressing.

“Victims deserve absolute confidence that every decision is made with care and expertise.

“Our specialist prosecutors usually get it right first time, but when we don’t, and a case that could have continued is stopped, an apology alone can never feel like justice.

“Victims who have taken part so far have told us that simply having this option makes a positive difference.

“I’m pleased we are now expanding the pilot so we can gather the evidence we need to understand the full impact and how best to support victims.”

The government says these measures are part of its strategy to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP said: “Rape and sexual assault are abhorrent, causing long-lasting physical and emotional trauma to victims.

The brave survivors who come forward deserve to have confidence that their voices have been truly heard.”

“This government is committed to halving violence against women and girls, and following a positive pilot, I have decided to significantly expand the Victim’s Right to Review into three more areas, including Bolton.”