At least thirty people have been confirmed dead and an unknown number abducted following a devastating assault by armed militants on a rural village in Nigeria's troubled Niger state.
Details of the Saturday Evening Massacre
The attack unfolded on the evening of Saturday, 4 January 2026, in the village of Kasuwan-Daji, located within the Borgu area. According to a statement from Niger state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun, the assailants stormed the community, opening fire indiscriminately on residents. The violence was not confined to the loss of life; the gunmen also destroyed the local market and set several houses ablaze.
While the official police report states "over 30 victims lost their lives," local accounts suggest a significantly higher death toll. At least two residents placed the number at 37, with fears it could rise further as people remain unaccounted for. Reverend Friar Stephen Kabirat, spokesman for the Catholic Church of Kontagora Diocese, told local media that the gunmen killed more than 40 people and confirmed that some of those abducted were children.
Contradictions Over Security Response and Local Anguish
A stark contradiction has emerged between official claims and the testimony of survivors regarding the security response. Police stated that officers had been deployed to search for the abducted individuals. However, residents on the ground vehemently dispute this, saying security forces were conspicuously absent.
"There has been no presence of security forces since the attacks began. We are currently recovering corpses," said Dauda Shakulle, who was wounded while fleeing. He added, heartbreakingly, that "Women and children were not spared." Another local, who spoke anonymously for fear of reprisals, revealed the gunmen had been lurking around nearby communities for about a week prior to the assault, leaving locals too terrified to retrieve the bodies of the fallen. "If we don't see any security, how can we go there?" he asked.
A Region Gripped by a Cycle of Violence
This horrific incident is the latest in a relentless cycle of deadly violence plaguing Nigeria's northwestern and central regions, where security forces are struggling to contain attacks by armed groups. The violence often involves mass kidnappings for ransom, particularly targeting schools and rural communities.
This attack follows the traumatic abduction of more than 300 pupils and 12 staff from a Catholic school in Niger state in November last year. While some of those victims escaped or were rescued, the remaining 130 children were only freed just before Christmas. The persistent insecurity has led to the rise of vigilante groups in some areas, attempting to fill the security gaps left by overstretched government forces.
The community of Kasuwan-Daji is now left to bury its dead and mourn the missing, as questions mount over the effectiveness of measures to protect vulnerable populations from such brazen and repeated attacks.
