For the families of the victims of the January 3 terrorist attack on Kasuwan Daji Market, the trauma may never fade. What began as a regular market day in Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, descended into a nightmare of screams and chaos. Survivors recount the horror of seeing their loved ones struck down as suspected bandits moved through the market, leaving destruction and fear in their wake. ABU NMODU reports.
Residents of Kasuwan Daji in Borgu local government area, Niger State, are still reeling after a brutal terrorist attack on Saturday, January 3, 2026, that claimed the lives of 30 people. Eyewitnesses and bereaved family members have narrated scenes of panic, bloodshed, and desperate flight, painting a grim picture of fear and devastation that has gripped the community.
One can only imagine the screams and wailing that filled the air at the Kasuwan Daji Market as suspected bandits, believed to be operating from the Kainji National Park forest near Kabe district, moved through the stalls, opening fire on innocent men and women, majorly breadwinners who had gone out to earn a living for their families.
Shops were looted, the market set ablaze, and fear now hangs over the entire community. When visited the community, it discovered that many residents have fled their homes, unsure if safety will ever return despite repeated assurances from authorities.
The attack left a trail of blood and destruction beyond the market itself. In the surrounding villages, 12 more people were slaughtered, and dozens were abducted as the assailants rampaged unchecked. Grieving families have described scenes of the unimaginable horror, as homes were ransacked and prized possessions destroyed, leaving survivors struggling to comprehend the scale of the violence.
In spite of the fact that local authorities and security operatives have been called upon to respond, the community remains on edge, with whispers of more attacks circulating among the frightened residents. The once-bustling Kasuwan Daji Market, a vital hub of trade and social life, now stands in ruins, a stark reminder of the terror that erupted in broad daylight.
The incident at Kasuwan Daji, located at the borders of Borgu and Agwara local government areas is just a few kilometres from Papiri, where children and staff of St Mary Catholic School were abducted recently brought back harrowing memories for villagers in both areas. Many recalled the emotional trauma their children endured before being released last month.
Families of the victims who pleaded anonymity told our reporter that the casualty of the attack, which now stands at 45 deaths, was both dastardly and cruel.
For them, beyond the heartbreak of losing loved ones, residents are grappling with the uncertainty surrounding family members who were abducted, as well as the destruction of property looted and set ablaze during the assault.
On the mode of operation of the terrorists, Mallam Farouk Musa from Borgu said that “they come from the Kainji National Park and game reserve forest, move through the Kabe Hills, attack the villagers, and then vanish into the forest, leaving the villagers to pick up the pieces.”
A woman popularly known as Madam Titi, who owns a shop in the market, said she lost four of her relatives in the attack on Kasuwan Daji, forcing her and other villagers to relocate. She said in an interview: “They killed four of my family members. We had to abandon the village and run away. We don’t know what to do. There is nobody left in our compound now. We are up to 100 people living in the same house where we have relocated to, in a neighbouring town in Kofanti. It is safer for us.”
Madam Titi added that her village, Babelu, close to Kasuwan Daji, saw no fewer than 42 villagers killed on that fateful day. She recalled that at the market, they were caught completely off guard, shot at randomly, and that she barely escaped the bandits’ bullets and possible abduction by quickly going into hiding. By the time she returned, 30 bodies were counted dead in the market.
“They also went into the villages, tied people’s hands, and slaughtered our people like animals. At least 12 of them were killed like that,” Titi recalled.
She called on the government to provide adequate security for the area, saying, “Only when that is done can we go back home. For now, there is danger everywhere, and there is no guarantee they will not come back.”
“How do you expect me to be alright going back to that village when I just buried four of my relatives, those I eat, sleep, and wake up with?” she asked rhetorically, adding that the lack of security presence, even after the Papiri attack, made it easier for the bandits to repeatedly overrun the villages.
Another villager, Dauda Baka-Aure, said he also lost four of his relatives during the attack on Kasuwan Daji Market, prompting him and other residents to relocate to Kofanti, a safer community.
“Now we are in this neighbouring village, where we sleep outside. We abandoned our village to become beggars, sleeping in the cold,” he told LEADERSHIP Weekend. He added that the few rooms provided by their hosts were reserved for the children, while the adults had to sleep outside in the harsh weather.
Painting a similarly gruesome picture of the attack, Dauda said the bandits opened fire at the market and went into surrounding villages, slaughtering people “like animals.”
He called on the government to take deliberate action and find a lasting solution to the repeated attacks, saying, “We are truly traumatised.”
Another market woman, Asebe, recounted her ordeal: “I was in my shop when I heard gunshots. I ran for my life, but by the time I returned after the bandits left, I saw some of the people who were just alive a moment ago lying in pools of their blood. It was unbelievable. People were going about their usual business, and the next minute you saw them like that.”
Mallam Umar Kwana said none of his relatives were directly killed during the attack, but five of his children were among the scores abducted from the market. “Some people from our area were slaughtered by the terrorists. I am very sad. Five of my children have been abducted. When the bandits came, there was confusion everywhere, and later I could not find my children. It is clear they were taken into the forest with the others abducted from the market,” he said.
The director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Reverend Father Matthew Kabirat, confirmed the severity of the situation, noting that
parishioners and priests are also relocating due to fear of further attacks.
He added, “As I am talking to you, our parishioners and priests are leaving for fear of possible attacks. The security personnel who came after the incident cannot be found, and there are no signs of help for the people. These terrorists had a field day, and our people are moving from that axis for fear of either being killed or kidnapped.”
Reverend Kabirat said the attackers did not only kill but also abducted an unknown number of women and children and set the market ablaze. “The fire was so intense that the smoke could be seen 15 kilometres away at Papiri,” he said.
A villager, who gave his name as Abuka, said communities in Papiri, Kwana, and Tugan Salama, both in Agwara and Borgu local government areas were living in constant fear. He said, “Between Sunday, December 28, 2025, and Saturday, January 3, 2026, this group of bandits roamed freely without being challenged. The Papiri school children, who were recently released from captivity, including my daughter, have been further traumatised, forced to hide whenever the terrorists are nearby, both day and night.”
He added, “People are evacuating the area in large numbers, abandoning their homes and property.”
The Niger State Police public relations officer, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the attack, stating that security forces were on the trail of the terrorists. However, he provided no updates on the rescue of the abducted victims or any arrests made.
Similarly, the Niger State government extended condolences to the families of the victims and assured the public that it was working to prevent further attacks, pledging to collaborate with the federal government to bring the perpetrators to justice. Yet, for now, villagers continue to live in fear, mourning their killed and abducted family members.
It was reports that despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for security agencies to coordinate an immediate manhunt to rescue the abducted victims, the situation in the affected communities remains precarious and in urgent need of attention.
The escalating insecurity has also drawn the concern of the Son of the late Emir of Borgu, Murtala Haliru Dantoro, who appealed directly to President Tinubu to rescue the people of the Borgu Emirate, reminding him of his traditional title, Jagaban Borgu.
The prince said the persistent killings and insecurity in Borgu and Agwara local government areas, which comprise the Emirate, had reached an unbearable level, leaving residents in constant fear. “I am deeply troubled by the continuous loss of innocent lives in our communities. Families are being torn apart, livelihoods destroyed, and our people are gradually losing hope in the ability of leadership to protect them,” he said.
He urged both President Tinubu and Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago to intervene urgently and provide lasting solutions. “Our people deserve to live without fear, to farm their lands, and to sleep peacefully in their homes. This is not just a local crisis; it is a humanitarian emergency that demands immediate and decisive action from the highest levels of government,” he added.
The accounts reflect the deep frustration and anguish of the once peaceful Borgu Emirate, a region of strategic national importance that hosts major investments, including Nigeria’s foremost hydroelectric dam.
Therefore reiterate that as the smoke clears over Kasuwan Daji and surrounding villages, the grief, fear, and displacement linger, painting a stark reminder of the human cost of insecurity in Niger State.
Families mourn the loss of loved ones, communities struggle to rebuild, and the shadow of further attacks hangs over every home and market.
The urgent call for decisive action, from local authorities to the highest levels of government, resounds louder than ever, for the safety, dignity, and future of the Borgu Emirate and its people depend on it.
BBNaija star, Tacha, has called for the maximum punishment for Mirabel, the lady who in a viral video claimed she was r@ped inside her home by an unknown man.
In a shocking revelation, Mirabel on Thursday, February 19, confessed to social critic, VeryDarkMan, that she lied about the r@pe claim. She claimed she was dealing with serious mental health issues which was why she came up with the false claim.
Many Nigerians have called for her to be prosecuted. In a post shared on X, Tacha also called for Mirabel’s prosecution. She opined that Mirable should be punished just the way a r@pist would be punished if found guilty.
‘’Now that its been established that Mirabel lied about the r*pe allegation, I expect the police and the agencies in charge of handling r*pe and assault cases to make sure they penalize Mirabel and that she receives the same punishment a r*pist would get… CAUSE we live in a very wicked and terrible society where r*pists and r*pe apologists are looking for excuses to continue to r*pe and abuse women..
We should NEVER allow stupid women to empower these evil and wicked men! She must be penalized”
In a follow-up video, Tacha stated that false rape claims only empower r@pe apologists to dismiss the claims of real r@pe victims whenever a fresh case of the crime surfaces.
‘’R@pe is a very serious issue. Women should never waponize r@pe for whatever reason. Never use r@pe to get back at an ex or a man. Never try to do so because at the end of the day, you are taking away from the real victims. You are Honestly!
You are empowering these r@pe apologists and r@pists because they feel like the next girl that comes out to talk about it how many people will believe her? because truthfully how many people will believe her?”
The Kebbi State Police Command has reinforced security in the Bui District of Arewa Local Government Area following a deadly armed cattle rustling incident that left 33 people dead.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, said additional personnel and operational assets had been deployed to the affected communities in collaboration with the military and other security agencies.
He said sustained area domination patrols were ongoing to stabilise the district and prevent further violence.
“The Command deeply regrets the loss of thirty-three innocent lives and extends its heartfelt condolences to the families affected and the entire Arewa community,” the statement read.
According to the police, “preliminary investigations revealed that suspected Lakurawa militants entered Bui District on February 18 to rustle cattle.
“The attackers were believed to have crossed into the area from Gudu Local Government Area”
Residents from Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, Makangara, Kanzo, Gorun Naidal and Dan Mai Ago reportedly mobilised in response, leading to a fatal confrontation.
The police emphasised that incidents involving heavily armed criminal elements require coordinated security intervention and warned residents against directly engaging such groups.
“Members of the public are urged to promptly report suspicious movements through established security channels rather than confront armed criminals, as such actions pose grave risks,” Usman stated.
Meanwhile, earlier reports indicated that at least 34 people were feared killed when gunmen swept through several communities in Arewa LGA in coordinated daylight attacks, triggering panic across the wider Kebbi North Senatorial District.
Security forces have since launched targeted operations to track and apprehend the perpetrators, block escape routes and strengthen early warning mechanisms.
The Command urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies as efforts intensify to restore lasting peace in the troubled communities.
The Department of State Services has reopened investigations into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, and is set to invite suspects in connection with the case.
Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State, was declared missing on August 1, 2019, after gunmen reportedly took him from his residence in Kaduna.
His whereabouts remain unknown nearly seven years later.
The development comes as Kadijah, the wife of social media commentator and critic, expressed fresh worries over her husband’s disappearance.
She spoke in a video interview with Ambassador-designate Reno Omokri, which was released on his X handle on Thursday.
Omokri, who visited the mother of two at her residence, sought support for Kadijah and her children, pledging to get justice for her.
“We pray that one day, he will come back,” Kadijah said when asked what she had to say about her husband’s disappearance over the years, especially given recent comments made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Appealing to Nigerians, she said, “They should please do whatever they can to help us know his whereabouts, if he’s alive or not.”
Omokri further asked Kadijah what she had to say about an old comment made about her husband that suggested “mockery.”
“It was somebody who showed me (the post) because I didn’t have a phone at that time,” she said of the 2019 comment reportedly made by the son of a former Kaduna State Governor.
The post had read, “Those same clowns who encouraged him when he was creating false stories and capitalising on lies that could endanger lives solely for political ends are the same individuals trending hashtags asking, ‘#WhereisDadiyata.’
“Dangerous lies in the public space have consequences. I felt bad about it (the comment). I can’t even explain,” Kadijah stated in the video.
She further narrated how her husband was abducted as he alighted from his car in their compound on August 2, 2019, saying she watched from the window as it happened.
Assuring Kadijah of Dadiyata’s safe return if he is alive, and justice in the unlikely event of his death, Omokri empathised with the woman and sought assistance for the family.
He appealed to the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, for “whatever he can do for them… to help their living conditions, probably relocate them, help their education, or help the mother with a job. Nigeria owes a duty of care to this family for what has happened to them.”
Dadiyata, a lecturer and online commentator, was abducted on August 2, 2019, by unidentified gunmen as he drove into his home in Barnawa, Kaduna.
The incident has continued to attract public attention and demands for accountability.
Dadiyata’s matter resurfaced on February 14, 2026, when El-Rufai denied any involvement in the case and argued that the missing commentator was primarily critical of the Kano administration rather than the Kaduna State government.
“Dadiyata was not a fierce critic of the Kaduna State government. He was a fierce critic of the Kano State government.
“He is a Kwankwasiya guy; he lives in Kaduna and lectures at a university in Katsina State, but is a fierce critic not of Kaduna State. Go and review his timeline,” he said.
El-Rufai further stated that he was unaware of Dadiyata before the abduction was reported to the police.
“It was Ganduje that was his problem. I didn’t even know him. We only got the report of Dadiyata’s existence and the fact that he lives in Kaduna State after the family reported to the police that he was abducted as he was returning home in the evening.
“If anybody is to be asked about the disappearance of Dadiyata, it is the Kano State Government; it has nothing to do with the Kaduna State Government. We didn’t even know he existed,” he said.
Reacting, former Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, dismissed being linked to the case in a statement issued by his former Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Muhammad Garba.
He described the claims as “reckless, unfounded, and a clear attempt to shift responsibility for an incident that occurred entirely within Kaduna State.”
According to Ganduje, Dadiyata was widely known in Kaduna for his criticism of the state government.
“Everyone in Kaduna knew the nature of the criticism he made and who it was directed at,” he said.
A security source told The PUNCH that the DSS recently seized El-Rufai’s passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to prevent him from travelling abroad while investigations are ongoing.
“The DSS has reopened the case of the 2019 disappearance in Kaduna of a renowned government critic, Abubakar Idris, better known as Dadiyata, and several other cases of missing persons.
“El’Rufai is fully aware that the DSS is investigating him and his two sons for Dadiyata’s kidnapping.
