Reporting by The Hindu (Nigeria Bureau) indicates that at least 30 people were killed and dozens more abducted during a Saturday evening raid on Kasuwan-Daji village. Gunmen, identified by locals as bandits, stormed the market in the Borgu Local Government Area, firing indiscriminately and setting shops ablaze. The attackers reportedly emerged from the expansive National Park Forest, a known hideout for armed gangs operating along the Kabe district.
State police confirmed the incident on Sunday, though local residents and religious leaders suggest the death toll may be as high as 40. The attack has triggered a fresh wave of displacement, as survivors are currently too terrified to return to the village to recover the bodies of the deceased. This tragedy follows a similar pattern of violence in the region, which recently saw the mass abduction of schoolchildren in the nearby Papiri community.
Both Tribune Online and Channels TV have provided harrowing updates on the situation. Tribune Online reported that ’emergency responders are struggling to access the remote area due to security fears,’ while Channels TV quoted Governor Umar Bago: ‘A joint security team is currently trailing the terrorists into the forest hideouts.’
Echotitbits take: The use of national parks as bandit sanctuaries remains Nigeria’s greatest ‘security blind spot.’ Despite the ₦5.4 trillion security budget mentioned in economic reports, the response time in rural Niger State continues to lag. Watch for an increase in military drone surveillance over the Borgu-Kabe forest axis this week.
Source: Reuters – https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/least-30-killed-nigeria-market-attack-police-say-2026-01-04/ January 5, 2026
Photo Credit: France
