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.
Several people were k!lled and others sustained injuries when gunmen attacked villagers during the mass burial of six victims of last night attack in Nding community, Fan District, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
LIB reported that six people, including a family of five, were k!lled in the village on Tuesday night, May 5, 2026.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, May 6.
A member of the community, Weng Christopher, said the assailants stormed the area and opened fire on unsuspecting victims.
It was further gathered that the gunmen, who were watching the burial ceremony from the hills surrounding the community, suddenly descended and attacked them as they were digging the grave.
An eyewitness, Masara Kim, a journalist, said that about five communities were experiencing simultaneous attacks by the terrorists.
He said that the mourners had just dug about a few metres before the terrorists struck, and they had to hurriedly dump the bodies into the shallow grave and run for their lives.
“So right now, there is an ongoing attack, a massive attack, actually, in communities 20 miles south of Jos. We are told the communities are more than five right now that are experiencing simultaneous attacks,” he narrated.
“Right under my eyes, I saw a man fall after he was shot by a terrorist, who emerged from the surrounding hills and started shooting and advancing in the direction of the community where I was, where we were observing, witnessing the burial of seven people who were k!lled last night in a village located in the Fan district of Barkin Ladi local council.
“So while the mass burial was ongoing, we got information. Actually, before the mass burials commenced, while locals were digging the mass graves for the seven people, we got information that the terrorists were advancing. They were mobilising to launch an attack.
“So the mass grave was just a little below two feet, but they had to abandon the digging and just dump the bodies in them.
“There weren’t any official funeral rites yet. You know, there was just a prayer, very brief, and they had to just be buried. And moments later, there were incoming gunshots. And right in front of me, a man fell. He was one of the civilian defenders who were managing to protect the defenceless civilians using homemade pipe guns and hunting rifles.
“Eventually, all of us were overwhelmed, and the entire community was overrun. And we had to run for our dear lives.
“The video you saw, the first video, was me just standing in the outskirts of the community, just recording what was going on. We could hear gunshots in the distance, but we didn’t realise how close it already was.
“By the time we realised how close it was, people were already falling, and they had already come too close, and we had to run and abandon our vehicle in the centre of the community.
“I just made it out of safety, but for those that are left behind, they’re going to have mercy on their souls.”
Kim said he couldn’t ascertain the casualty figure, as the situation was very tense when he left the area.
The publicity secretary of the Berom Youth-Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwom, who confirmed the incident to Sun Nigeria described the situation as terrible.
Tengwom, who appeared panic-stricken, said he learnt that the BYM president was trapped in the area and they’re racing to the scene to have him rescued.
“I am on a bike now to the place. The situation is quite bad, and we learnt that our president is trapped. We’re going there to rescue him by all mean,” he added.
The Cross River State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two serving police officers who were intercepted with firearms and ammunition amid the ongoing communal crisis between Ugep and Idomi communities.
The clarification followed a viral video circulating on social media alleging that the officers were arrested in connection with the conflict.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Cross River State Command, Eitokpah Akata, said the suspects were intercepted during a joint stop-and-search operation involving police officers and personnel of the Nigerian Army in Biase Local Government Area.
“The Command wishes to clarify that the incident occurred on 5th May 2026, when two suspects riding on a motorcycle were intercepted during a routine stop-and-search operation conducted jointly by men of the Nigeria Police Force and personnel of the Nigerian Army in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State,” the statement read.
According to the police, preliminary findings showed that the suspects are serving members of the police force attached to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the two suspects seen in the viral video are serving members of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and were found in possession of firearms and live ammunition at the time of their interception,” the statement added.
The command disclosed that the officers were immediately taken into custody and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Calabar for further investigation.
“The suspects were immediately taken into custody and subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Calabar, where a full-scale investigation is currently ongoing,” Akata stated.
The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Rashid Afegbua, has reportedly ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
“The Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, CP Rashid B. Afegbua, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the motive, intent, and full circumstances surrounding the suspects’ actions,” the statement said.
The command also assured residents that any individual found culpable would face the law regardless of status or affiliation.
“The Command assures members of the public that no individual found wanting, regardless of status or affiliation, will be shielded from the full weight of the law,” the police added.
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper, Adegbenro Adeola, after a dramatic chase that led to the rescue of an abducted victim in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the suspect is part of a gang that had been terrorising parts of the city.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, when operatives on routine patrol along the Oba-Ile axis acted on intelligence about a distress situation involving a man inside a moving vehicle.
The officers reportedly spotted a red Toyota Camry in which a victim was heard shouting for help.
“Upon receipt of the report, the operatives swiftly mobilised and pursued the suspected vehicle,” the statement said.
During the chase, the suspects reportedly forced the victim, later identified as Kayode Alaba, out of the moving vehicle in an attempt to escape arrest.
The police team, however, continued the pursuit and succeeded in arresting Adeola, while other members of the gang fled the scene.
The vehicle used in the operation was also recovered.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim had earlier been abducted from his residence along Irese Road, Akure, before the police intervention.
Jimoh said the victim has since been rescued and is receiving medical attention, while the arrested suspect has provided useful information to assist ongoing investigations.
The case has been transferred to the Violent Crime Response Unit in Akure for further investigation and efforts to apprehend fleeing accomplices.
