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.
Troops of the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have foiled an ambush by suspected criminals while responding to a communal dispute in Odonget Community, Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The Army disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, signed by the Major Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters 13 Brigade Nigerian Army, Lt. Yemi Sokoya.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on March 12, 2026, after troops deployed at Ochon and Alesi received credible information about rising tensions linked to a communal disagreement in Odonget Community.
Sokoya said the troops “acted swiftly to prevent a breakdown of law and order” by mobilising to the community, where they carried out patrols and a show of force that helped to calm the situation and restore normalcy between the concerned parties.
However, while returning to their respective locations after stabilising the area, the soldiers discovered that their route had been deliberately blocked by unidentified persons.
“During efforts to clear the obstruction, the soldiers came under a coordinated ambush by unknown gunmen, leading to a fierce exchange of fire,” the statement said.
He added that following a contact report from troops on the ground, reinforcements from the 245 Battalion were immediately deployed with armoured and tactical support vehicles to counter the attack.
“The prompt response enabled the troops to successfully repel and clear the ambush,” Sokoya stated.
He said that during the engagement, troops “neutralised four of the armed attackers, while several others escaped.”
The Army spokesman said one soldier sustained injuries during the incident and was immediately evacuated to Jennifer Hospital in Ochon, Obubra Local Government Area, where he is currently receiving medical treatment.
Sokoya further stated that in the aftermath of the incident, troops had commenced cordon-and-search operations in suspected communities linked to the attackers to track down the fleeing criminals and prevent further security breaches.
He added that a curfew had been imposed in the affected area “to forestall further breakdown of law and order and to deny miscreants the freedom to operate.”
The Commander, 13 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Patrick Alimikhena commended the bravery and professionalism displayed by the troops in confronting the attackers.
He also reassured residents of Cross River State of the Nigerian Army’s “unwavering commitment to protecting lives and maintaining peace within its Area of Responsibility.”
The Army urged members of the public to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies and provide credible information that would assist ongoing operations aimed at apprehending the perpetrators.
“Members of the public are encouraged to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies, and provide credible information that will assist ongoing operations aimed at apprehending the perpetrators,” the statement added.
Seven persons have been arraigned before the Special Offences (Mobile) Court sitting in Ikeja Magisterial District for allegedly assaulting enforcement operatives of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) during an environmental enforcement operation.
The defendants, Olamilekan Abdullahi (21), Akeem Olamilekan (24), Frank Tom (25), Sakiru Jamiu (20), Emmanuel Abiodun (41), Olarewanju Onyowale (35) and Taiwo Yusuf (30), were apprehended by LAWMA enforcement personnel on March 8, 2026, within the Moshalashi Jimoh axis in Lagos Island during routine monitoring against indiscriminate waste disposal.
They were subsequently arraigned on March 10, 2026, before the Special Offences (Mobile) Court, Ikeja, in the matter of Attorney General of Lagos State v. Olamilekan Abdullahi & 6 Others.
The prosecution charged the defendants on a five-count charge bordering on conduct likely to cause breach of peace, indiscriminate dumping of refuse at an unapproved location, failure to patronise an approved Private Sector Participant (PSP) waste operator, obstruction of officers in the discharge of their duties, and assault.
All seven defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read before the court.
The court thereafter adjourned the case to April 24, 2026, for trial and admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two responsible sureties, one of whom must be a recognised community leader while the other must be a gainfully employed relative.
Pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, the defendants were remanded in a correctional facility.
LAWMA warns that obstruction or assault of enforcement personnel constitutes a serious offence under the laws of Lagos State, reiterating that acts capable of undermining environmental enforcement operations would be firmly addressed through appropriate legal channels.
The Federal Government has arraigned a 54-year-old Abuja-based medical practitioner, John Abebe, before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Jabi, over fraudulent acts and criminal conspiracy.
Abebe, who is also a pastor at Living Faith Church in Durumi, Abuja, was arraigned on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 along with his hospital, Joje Abebe Hospital Limited, on three counts of fraud, criminal conspiracy, unlawful disclosure of confidential medical records, and alleged sale of a couple’s embryos.
The doctor was accused of unlawfully releasing the confidential medical records of Mrs Mary Manga and her husband to the public without her consent, in contravention of Section 29 of the National Health Act 2014.
In addition to the alleged breach of medical confidentiality, prosecutors claim that between January and May 2025, Abebe, described as a Chief Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (O&G), deceived and defrauded the couple of N19 million under the pretext of being a specialist in In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).
The prosecution alleged that he collected the money for treatment and converted it to personal use, an offence punishable under Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
It was also alleged that the doctor sold the couple’s fully developed embryos to other patients, a development that, if proven, could mark one of the most scandalous fertility-related cases in the country’s recent history.
When the charges were read to him, Abebe and JojeAbebe Hospital Limited pleaded not guilty.
His counsel, Marvin Omorogbe, applied for his bail, which was not opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Joseph Wada.
Consequently, Justice A. A. Fashola granted Abebe bail in the tune of N5 million with a reliable surety in like sum, who must be a professional working with a responsible and verifiable organisation, and adjourned to April 2, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
