No fewer than 30 people were killed and several others abducted on Saturday after suspected terrorists launched a deadly attack on Kasuwan-Daji market in Demo community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The attackers, reportedly armed with guns, stormed the market in the evening hours and operated until the early hours of Sunday. During the raid, they looted food items and valuables worth millions of naira before setting the market on fire.
A resident of the area told reporters that the assailants arrived in large numbers and carried out the attack without resistance. According to the source, some victims were reportedly rounded up, tied, and killed, while others were taken away to an unknown destination.
The attackers were said to have emerged from the Borgu National Park, a vast forested area that has increasingly been linked to armed groups operating across parts of Niger State and neighbouring regions.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, said security agencies had verified the scale of the attack.
“On January 3, 2026, at about 9:00 pm, information was received that suspected bandits from the National Park forest along Kabe District invaded Kasuwan-Daji market at about 4:30 pm,” Abiodun said in a statement.
He added that a joint security team visited the area the following morning, where it was confirmed that over 30 people lost their lives, while several others were kidnapped during the attack.
“Efforts are ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims, and further developments will be communicated,” the police spokesperson said.
The attack has heightened concerns over worsening insecurity in rural communities of Niger State, particularly around forest reserves that have become hideouts for armed groups.