At least 30 people were killed and several others abducted when gunmen attacked a market in Nigeria’s Niger State, police said on Sunday.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said the gunmen, locally called bandits, stormed Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, at around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday burning stalls and looting food items.
“Over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack, and some persons were also kidnapped. Efforts are ongoing to rescue the kidnapped victims,” Abiodun said.
“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people. They must, therefore, face the full consequences of their criminal actions. No matter who they are or what their intent is, they must be hunted down,” the President declared.
He added, “They, and all those who aid, abet, or enable them in any form, will be caught and brought to justice.”
Witnesses said the gunmen arrived on motorcycles and opened fire indiscriminately. They said the violence was part of a series of raids that began on Friday in the nearby villages Agwarra and Borgu.
“Women and children were not spared,” said Dauda Shakulle, who was wounded while fleeing. “There has been no presence of security forces since the attacks began. We are currently recovering corpses.”
Item 1 of 5 Residents prepare to bury victims killed during an attack on Kasuwan Daji Market, where gunmen looted food items, killed and abducted several people, according to local police, in Sukumbara village, Niger State, Nigeria, January 4, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone.
Residents prepare to bury victims killed during an attack on Kasuwan Daji Market, where gunmen looted food items, killed and abducted several people, according to local police, in Sukumbara village, Niger State, Nigeria, January 4, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said that he has directed the authorities to hunt down the perpetrators behind the attack.
“I have also directed that all abducted victims be urgently rescued and that security operations around vulnerable communities, especially near forests, be intensified,” Tinubu said in a statement.
The Nigerian military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu linked Saturday’s attack to terrorists fleeing from Sokoto and Zamfara states following the United States airstrike on Christmas Eve.
The attack came weeks after gunmen seized more than 300 children and staff of a Catholic school in the state in central Nigeria. Those victims were released after nearly a month in captivity.
