Terrorists have launched a series of brutal attacks on communities within the Agwarra and Borgu Local Government Areas of Niger State, resulting in the deaths of at least 42 people. According to local sources and the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, the insurgents operated with near-impunity for over a week, taking advantage of a total lack of security presence in the rural axis. The most significant casualty count occurred at the Kasuwa Daji market near Papiri, where 37 people were reportedly killed during a Saturday raid. An additional five villagers were murdered in Kaima, while an unconfirmed number of residents, including many children, were forcibly taken into the forest as captives.
Among those abducted are pupils and students from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri.The Director of Communications for the Catholic Church of Kontagora Diocese, Rev. Father Stephen Kabirat, confirmed that the attackers also targeted the Parish Mission House three days ago. While the Parish Priest narrowly escaped abduction, the terrorists destroyed religious artifacts and looted two motorbikes along with ₦200,000 in cash. This wave of violence follows a previous mass abduction at the same school in November 2025, raising serious questions about the vulnerability of educational and religious institutions in the region.
The survivors have issued desperate appeals to the Federal Government, noting that the terrorists appear to have established a permanent base in the nearby forests. Witnesses described the Saturday market attack as particularly “angry,” with the bandits burning stalls and carting away food supplies while shooting indiscriminately at fleeing traders. The lack of opposition from state forces has emboldened the criminals to move from village to village at “freewill.” Residents are currently struggling to recover corpses for burial, and the local community remains in a state of high alert as the whereabouts of the kidnapped children remain unknown.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has since ordered a full-scale manhunt for the perpetrators, mandating the military and DSS to flush out the killers. Intelligence suggests these groups may be remnants of terror cells fleeing recent airstrikes in Sokoto and Zamfara. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the brutality as “heinous,” urging the government to move beyond rhetoric and restore physical security to the “River” area where the students were snatched.
