Armed men suspected to be bandits operating from the Kainji Lake National Park have attacked a village market in Niger State, killing no fewer than 30 people, abducting scores of residents and setting the market ablaze.
The attack occurred on Saturday at Kasuwan Daji Market in Demo Village, Kabe District, Borgu Local Government Area.
The assailants reportedly accessed the community through Kabe and fled through routes leading into the Kainji Lake National Park Forest.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, the Niger State Police Command said a joint security team had visited the area, while efforts were ongoing to rescue those abducted.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the bandits invaded the market in the late afternoon, looted shops and food items, and opened fire on villagers.
“On 03/01/2026 at about 9 p.m., information received revealed that at about 4:30 p.m. of the same date, suspected bandits from the National Park Forest, along Kabe District invaded Kasuwan Daji, located at Demo Village, via Kabe, burnt the market, looted shops, and carted away food items,” Abiodun said.
He added that a follow-up report showed the scale of the casualties.
“On 04/01/2026 at about 8 a.m., a report 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. Further developments will be communicated,” he said.
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The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents linked to armed groups operating around the Kainji Lake axis.
On November 21, 2025, bandits abducted more than 300 pupils and students from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of the state.
The gunmen, who arrived on motorcycles in the early hours of the day, abducted 315 people—303 students and 12 teachers.
While dozens of the abductees later escaped and others were freed through government intervention, the incident heightened concerns over insecurity in parts of Niger State.
