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.
The Police Special Fraud Unit has cautioned intending travellers to strictly adhere to due process when applying for travel visas.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday, the spokesperson of PSFU, DSP Ovie Ewhubare, cautioned intending travellers against scams.
Ewhubare urged members of the public to remain vigilant against fraudsters’ activities.
NAN reports that scammers in the country have increasingly targeted visa applicants by posing as embassy officials or agents, using fake websites and urgent messages to demand quick payments.
The fraudsters often promise guaranteed visa approvals or faster processing and request payments through personal bank accounts, gift cards, or other unofficial channels.
Recently, the Police Command in Lagos State apprehended a syndicate in the Ago-Okota area of the state, for allegedly defrauding members of the public of over N500 million.
The suspects, aged 23, 25, 27 and 36, were apprehended following credible intelligence and multiple complaints from victims.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects operated under the guise of an educational consultancy.
They allegedly defrauded more than 100 victims of over N500 million under the false pretense of facilitating Canadian and Australian work visas.
The DSP warned visa applicants to be wary of individuals or agents who claimed they could guarantee visas, promise unusually fast processing, or demand payments through unofficial channels.
“Genuine visa applications are processed only through recognised Embassies, High Commissions, or their authorised platforms.
“The public should be cautious of unsolicited messages, emails, or social media contacts offering visa assistance, particularly where there is pressure to act quickly or provide personal details,” he said.
According to him, requests for upfront fees without proper documentation or instructions to submit false information are strong indicators of visa-related scams.
Ewhubare encouraged intending travellers to verify all visa-related information directly from official embassy websites, or government-approved agents, and to promptly report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.
The spokesperson said that following due process remained the most effective way to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, retired Maj.-Gen. Buba Marwa, on Monday, said terrorists and kidnappers now live in cannabis-growing communities.
Marwa made the statement in Akure during a courtesy visit to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State ahead of the Alternative Development Project campaign targeted at engaging illicit drug growers in the state.
He said the agency created the Alternative Development Project unit to discourage peasant farmers from growing illicit drugs, especially cannabis sativa.
According to him, the programme, which will not stop the enforcement role of the agency, is another way to combat terrorists and other criminals who now stay close to where illicit drugs are produced.
Marwa said drug use prevalence in Nigeria was unacceptably high, with about 15 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 using drugs, based on the 2018 United Nations drug use survey.
He said the figure meant that one in seven Nigerians within the age bracket use drugs, adding that the Alternative Development Project campaign would commence in Ondo State.
The NDLEA chairman said the agency had convicted 128 drug barons in the last five years and disclosed that of the 15,000 tonnes of illicit substances seized within the same period, over 75 per cent was cannabis sativa.
According to him, between 70 and 75 per cent of drug users in Nigeria consume cannabis sativa.
“The Boko Haram, the terrorists, the kidnappers — in fact, the kidnappers now, through our intelligence sources, have been shown to live among the cannabis-cultivating communities in the deep forests.
“And that makes sense to them. Why not establish a base where the drugs are readily available?
“In Ondo State, the drug use prevalence is 17 per cent, which is approximately 400,000.
“In 2025, the NDLEA in Ondo State made 336 arrests, with seizures of 22,316 kilogrammes of illicit substances, convicted 62 offenders, seized and destroyed 207,000 kilogrammes of cannabis from plantations and farms.
“We have a counselling and rehabilitation centre here; we have treated 243 people. But more significantly, Your Excellency, Ondo State is the highest producer of cannabis in Nigeria for several reasons, including the climate and the nature of the soil. It encourages this type of trade,” he said.
Marwa, who appreciated the governor for his efforts in the fight against illicit drugs, said the agency was carefully reviewing its law-enforcement strategy and had decided to adopt alternative approaches instead of constant raids and arrests.
In his remarks, Aiyedatiwa applauded Marwa for leading the initiative under his office.
Aiyedatiwa praised the NDLEA boss for his efforts and commitment toward ensuring that society is rid of illicit drugs.
“We, as government, will support you in any way that we can to ensure that we achieve the needed success. We will look into the direction of having our own alternative development programme like yours,” he said. (NAN)
The Niger State Police Command have arrested a 16-year-old suspect and three other persons over alleged drug-related offences, kidnapping and armed robbery in different parts of the state.
The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Niger Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun.
According to the statement, the teenage suspect was arrested on January 8, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m. in the Kantoma area of Suleja following reports that suspected hoodlums were operating in the area.
“Information received indicated that some hoodlums were sighted around Kantoma area of Suleja, smoking suspected cannabis,” the statement read.
Abiodun said operatives attached to ‘B’ Division, Suleja, were mobilised to the scene, adding that the suspects attempted to flee on sighting the police.
“On sighting the Police team, the hoodlums took to their heels but one Usman Aliyu, 16 years, was arrested within the area with four cutlasses, one jackknife and six sachets of illicit tablets,” the statement said.
On the suspect’s admission, the police spokesperson stated,“ The suspect confessed to having been selling the drugs to different persons in the area.”
He added that the suspect was arraigned in court for prosecution after investigation.
The statement also disclosed the arrest of three other suspects over alleged kidnapping and armed robbery activities.
“On 16th January, 2026, based on a tip-off, Police operatives of the FID STS arrested three suspects; Mamman Bello, 18 years; Ibrahim Adamu, 20 years; and Umar Abubakar, 25 years,” the statement said.
According to the police, Bello and Adamu were arrested in Ilorin, Kwara State, following intelligence that suspected kidnappers had relocated from Niger State to a forest in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
“During interrogation, it was revealed that Ibrahim joined the group from Beji while Bello also joined from Ogbomosho, and both confessed to different kidnapping activities within the State,” the statement read.
The police added that the suspects were planning to abduct another victim before their arrest and are currently undergoing further investigation.
On Umar Abubakar, the statement said he was arrested in Garatu for his involvement in an armed robbery incident in Beji.
“He confessed to the crime and mentioned others as Wode, Black, Moh’d and one other,” the statement said.
The command further disclosed that, “they sold the motorcycle at the rate of six hundred thousand naira at Tunga-Mallam and shared the proceeds,” adding that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang.
