Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu deployed an army battalion to Kaiama district in Kwara state after suspected jihadi fighters killed at least 162 people in an overnight attack, his office said on Thursday. 

Tuesday's assault on the Woro and Nuku villages, near the border to Benin in the west of the country, was the deadliest of the year to date. 

Tinubu condemns 'cowardly and barbaric' attack

Nigeria's government has come under pressure from the US to do more to halt attacks on Christian communities in Muslim-majority areas. The US struck what it described as terrorist targets in Kwara state in December.

Tinubu said the soldiers being sent to Kwara would stem further attacks and protect remote communities. 

He condemned the attack as "cowardly and barbaric," saying that the mostly Muslim villagers had refused demands from the gunmen to impose or accept extremist rule.

"President Tinubu expressed rage that the attackers killed the community members who rejected their obnoxious attempt at indoctrination," a presidential statement said.

The president said the attack was perpetrated by "Boko Haram terrorists," while a local politician had on Wednesday suggested another Islamist group affiliated with the Islamic State that allegedly has roots in Niger was responsible. No group immediately claimed responsibility.

Local lawmaker Sa'idu Baba Ahmed said the attackers set shops and the local traditional king's palace ablaze, adding that his whereabouts were unknown. Nigeria has many traditional local kings, emirs and rulers who hold no formal political power but often wield considerable local and cultural influence.

Christian group: All hostages taken from Kaduna churches freed

Also on Thursday, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said that all 166 worshippers kidnapped last month in a pair of attacks on churches in the northern state of Kaduna had been released. 

Reverend John Hayab, chairman of the northern chapter of CAN, said that everyone abducted from two churches in Kurmin Wali had now returned. He did not give details on whether a ransom was paid or how their release was secured. 

Another CAN leader, Reverend Caleb Ma'aji, said he had just returned from the government house in Kaduna and said the governor was about to receive the erstwhile hostages.

"The stage is set for them to be brought... His Excellency will meet with them. This is a result of the prayers we have offered," he said.  

Nigerian government officials were yet to comment officially on the matter.  

The assault on the Kaduna churches was a particularly large and notable example of a string of mass abductions targeting Christian communities that had put pressure on Tinubu's government. 

Kidnappers have also targeted other soft targets like schools on a relatively regular basis, prompting many to close late last year.

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher