At least 30 people have been killed and several others abducted after heavily armed men attacked the Kasuwan-Daji market in Demo village, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday afternoon, security sources and residents have confirmed.
The attackers are believed to be armed criminal gangs, locally known as bandits, operating from nearby forest areas.
According to the Niger State Police Command, the assailants invaded the community via Kabe District around 4:30 p.m., setting the bustling market ablaze, looting shops and carting away food items and valuables worth millions of naira before fleeing into the forest.
In a statement, Superintendent of Police Wasiu Abiodun said: “On 03/01/2026 at about 9:00 p.m., information received revealed that at about 4:30 p.m. of the same date, suspected bandits from the National Park forest along Kabe District invaded Kasuwan-Daji, located at Demo Village via Kabe, and burnt the market, looted shops, and carted away food items…”
He added, “On 04/01/2026 at about 8:00 a.m., a report indicated that a joint security team visited the scene, and over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack. Some persons were also kidnapped. Efforts are ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims. Further developments will be communicated.”
Local residents and eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and terror as gunmen on motorcycles opened fire indiscriminately, forcing fleeing villagers to scatter for cover with women and children reportedly not spared. Some locals believe the actual death toll could be higher, but official confirmation remains at 30 confirmed fatalities so far.
One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said security forces were nowhere to be seen during the hours-long assault. “The bodies are still there. If we don’t see any security, how can we go there?” he asked, describing how the attackers emerged from the National Park forest, a known hideout for criminal gangs.
The attack has sent shockwaves through the affected communities, compounding fears across rural parts of the state where insecurity has surged in recent months.
In November last year, more than 300 students and staff were abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, in one of the worst mass kidnappings, before all were eventually freed.
In a press statement, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the attack and ordered a nationwide security dragnet to hunt down the perpetrators and rescue those abducted.
According to the statement, he has directed the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to ensure the terrorists are brought to justice.
President Tinubu said: “These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people. They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions. No matter who they are or what their intent is, they must be hunted down. In addition, those who aid, abet, or enable them will also be brought to justice.”
He also directed that all abducted victims be urgently rescued and that security operations around vulnerable communities, especially near forests, be intensified.
The President called for unity, adding: “These times demand our humanity. We must stand together as one people and confront these monsters in unison. United, we can and must defeat them and deny them any sanctuary. We must reclaim peace for these attacked communities.”
President Tinubu concluded the statement with a message of sympathy for the victims’ families, saying “May the souls of the departed rest in peace.”
Authorities are yet to provide exact figures for the number of people kidnapped.
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