Gunmen Kill at Least 30, Abduct Several at Niger State Market

Minna/Maiduguri/Abuja, Jan. 4, 2026. Gunmen stormed Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, Borgu local government area of Niger State on Saturday evening, killing scores and seizing several people in an assault that residents said lasted for hours and left the trading hub in flames.

Niger State police identified the attack as occurring at around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 3 and said assailants on motorcycles opened fire, set market stalls and several houses alight, and looted stores of food. "Over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack, and some persons were also kidnapped," Niger State police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said as authorities launched efforts to rescue those taken.

Local clergy offered a higher toll. Rev. Stephen Kabirat, spokesman for the Kontagora Catholic Diocese, told local media that the gunmen killed more than 40 people and abducted several others, including children. The discrepancy between police and church figures reflects the chaotic aftermath, with exact counts still unverified and bodies reported to remain in the village because survivors fear returning without security guarantees.

A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said fighters had been seen lurking in nearby communities for about a week before the raid and that the assault on the market lasted up to three hours. Survivors described a scene of indiscriminate shooting, burning, and looting, with traders and families fleeing into surrounding farmland. Several witnesses said bodies remained uncollected overnight amid fears of further violence.

Federal and state security agencies were reported to be mobilizing, and President Bola Tinubu has directed security officials to pursue the attackers and rescue the hostages. Police in the state say rescue operations are ongoing but have provided few additional details about any pursuit or arrests. There has been no public confirmation of the number, identities, or ages of those abducted.

The Kasuwan Daji attack is the latest in a wave of violence attributed locally to "bandits" who operate in loose, mobile cells across northwestern and central Nigeria. The region has seen repeated mass kidnappings and village raids in recent months, including a high-profile incident weeks earlier in Niger State when gunmen seized more than 300 children and staff from a Catholic school; those captives were later released after nearly a month in captivity.

The raids have strained already thin security coverage in rural areas and heightened fears among farming communities dependent on markets for food and income. Looting of food supplies during the latest attack threatens local food security at a time when many traders are still recovering from earlier disruptions.

Analysts and officials say such banditry has escalated despite periodic military and police operations, driven by porous borders, rugged terrain, and networks that exploit local grievances and weak governance. Forensics and an official consolidated toll from state authorities will be needed to reconcile differing casualty counts. Meanwhile, residents and clergy are urging faster deployment of security forces and humanitarian assistance to tend the wounded, recover the dead, and support displaced families in the wake of the assault.