The Niger State Police Command on Sunday confirmed coordinated bandit attacks on several communities in Agwarra and Borgu Local Government Areas of Niger State, which left over 30 people dead, destroyed a market and led to the abduction of residents.
The command dismissed earlier reports that placed the death toll at 42, clarifying that more than 30 victims lost their lives during the attacks, which occurred on Saturday at about 4:30 p.m. in Kasuwan-Daji near Papiri and Kaima village.
According to police, the assailants invaded the communities, set the Kasuwan-Daji market on fire, looted shops and carted away food supplies, compounding the humanitarian impact on the affected areas.
The attacks forced residents to flee, while families remained uncertain about the fate of those taken away by the gunmen.
Earlier reports (Not NEWSNGR)had alleged that an unspecified number of those abducted included children, pupils and students of St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwarra.
Although the police did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, multiple accounts indicated that children were among those taken.
“They killed 37 people in Kasuwa Daji near Papiri, another five in Kaima village, and abducted many people including children. Some of these children are students of the same schools,” a source said.
The attack also extended to religious facilities, as the assailants reportedly invaded the Catholic mission house in the area.
The director of communications for the Catholic Church in Kontagora Diocese, Stephen Kabirat, confirmed the incident and detailed the extent of the destruction.
“Our Parish Priest narrowly escaped abduction when the terrorists visited our Mission House three days ago.
“They destroyed religious items, stole two motorcycles, and took cash exceeding N200,000,” he said.
Kabirat added that the attackers killed over 40 people, abducted villagers including children, and destroyed church property, highlighting the scale of violence against civilians and religious institutions.
Providing further details on the attack, the police command stated that it received information about the attack at about 9 p.m. on the same day and subsequently deployed security operatives to the affected areas.
“On 03/01/2026 at about 9pm, information received revealed that at about 4:30pm of the same date, suspected bandits from the national park forest along Kabe district invaded Kasuwan-Daji, located at Demo village via Kabe, Borgu LGA, and burnt the market, looted shops, and carted away food items.
“On 04/01/2026 at about 8am, reports indicated that a joint security team visited the scene, and over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack.
“Some persons were also kidnapped.
“Efforts are ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims as further developments will be communicated.”
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