President Bola Tinubu has ordered an intensive manhunt for the terrorists behind coordinated attacks on communities in Niger State that left more than 40 people dead and several others abducted.
In a statement personally signed on Sunday, the President 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 to track down the perpetrators of the Kasuwan Daji attack and bring them to justice.
“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people. They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions,” Tinubu said, adding that anyone who aids or abets them would also be prosecuted.
He further ordered the immediate rescue of all abducted victims and the intensification of security operations around vulnerable communities, particularly those close to forests. The President called for national unity in confronting insecurity and prayed for the repose of the victims’ souls.
The directive followed attacks by suspected bandits on Saturday in Agwara and Borgu local government areas of Niger State. According to the Niger State Police Command, the attackers reportedly emerged from the National Park forest along Kabe District before storming Kasuwan Daji in Demo Village.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the attack began around 4:30pm and lasted several hours. He confirmed that more than 30 people were killed, the market was razed, shops were looted and food items carted away. He noted that the remoteness of the area limited resistance, but security forces were later deployed.
While police put the death toll at over 30, residents and community leaders said the figure was higher. The Director of Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Rev. Fr Stephen Kabirat, said at least 40 people were killed and several others, including women and children, abducted. He added that a parish priest narrowly escaped abduction days earlier when attackers raided the mission house.
A community source in Agwara said the attacks spread to several villages, claiming at least 42 lives in Kasuwan Daji and Kaima, with many residents fleeing to neighbouring communities for safety. The source described the situation as a serious crisis, noting that some areas had been deserted.
The region has witnessed repeated attacks in recent months. In November 2025, terrorists abducted 315 pupils, students and teachers from St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri before their release following federal intervention.
Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, condemned the killings, describing them as callous and a crime against humanity. He urged security agencies to deploy all resources to track down and crush the perpetrators to prevent further bloodshed, while commiserating with the Niger State Government and families of the victims.
Advertisement
