No fewer than 30 people, including women, have been killed following a deadly attack on Kasuwan Daji market in the Demo community of Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when suspected bandits reportedly stormed the busy market around 4pm, shooting indiscriminately and unleashing terror on traders and residents. The attackers allegedly looted food items and other valuables worth millions of naira before setting the market ablaze.
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen arrived in large numbers and operated without resistance, with the assault lasting into the early hours of Sunday. According to residents, several victims were tied up during the attack, while many others were taken away by the assailants. One witness claimed that more than 50 people may have been killed, though official figures are yet to confirm this number.
The attackers were said to have emerged from a nearby National Park in Borgu LGA, striking in broad daylight and leaving the market completely destroyed. Many traders and residents remain unaccounted for, raising fears that the number of abducted persons could be higher than initially reported.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said over 30 people lost their lives, while several others were kidnapped. He explained that security operatives received a distress report around 9pm on January 3, indicating that suspected bandits from the National Park forest along Kabe District had invaded the market, burnt shops, looted goods, and abducted residents.
Abiodun added that a joint security team visited the area the following morning and confirmed the extent of the destruction and loss of lives. He assured that efforts are ongoing to rescue those abducted and restore calm to the area, noting that further updates would be made available as investigations continue.