President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an all-out manhunt for the terrorists behind the coordinated attacks on communities in Niger State that left more than 40 people dead and several others abducted, in what residents describe as one of the deadliest assaults in recent months.
In a personally signed statement 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 massacre and ensure they face the full weight of the law.
“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people. They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions,” Tinubu said, stressing that no individual or group involved would be spared.
The President also ordered the immediate rescue of all abducted victims and instructed security agencies to intensify operations around vulnerable communities, particularly settlements close to forests that have increasingly become havens for criminal gangs.
“These times demand our humanity. We must stand together as one people and confront these monsters in unison. United, we can and must defeat them and deny them any sanctuary,” he said, while praying for the repose of the souls of those killed.
The presidential directive followed coordinated attacks on Saturday afternoon in Agwara and Borgu local government areas of the state. According to the Niger State Police Command, the attackers were suspected to have emerged from the National Park forest along Kabe District before storming Kasuwan Daji in Demo Village.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the assault began around 4.30pm and lasted several hours, with the attackers operating largely unhindered due to the remoteness of the area.
“Suspected bandits invaded Kasuwan Daji, killed over 30 persons, burnt the market, looted shops and carted away food items,” Abiodun said, adding that a joint security team had since visited the scene and efforts were ongoing to rescue those taken captive.
While police put the initial death toll at over 30, community leaders and residents insisted the casualties were higher. The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora confirmed that no fewer than 40 people lost their lives during the raid.
“The terrorists killed over 40 persons and took others into captivity, including women and children,” said the Director of Communications of the Diocese, Rev. Fr Stephen Kabirat. He disclosed that a parish priest narrowly escaped abduction during an earlier visit by the gunmen to the Mission House, where religious items, motorcycles and cash were stolen.
A community source in Agwara Local Government Area said the violence extended beyond Kasuwan Daji, claiming that at least 42 people were killed across several villages, with an unconfirmed number abducted, including schoolchildren.
Fear has since gripped the affected communities, forcing residents to flee to neighbouring villages and across the river for safety. Many settlements, the source said, have been deserted.
The area has suffered repeated attacks in recent months. In November 2025, gunmen raided St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, abducting more than 300 pupils, students and teachers, who were later released after federal government intervention.
Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, condemned the killings, describing them as callous, senseless and a crime against humanity. He urged security agencies to deploy all available resources to track down and crush the perpetrators, warning that such brutality must not be allowed to fester.
