President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to track down and apprehend the perpetrators of the Kasuwan Daji attack in Niger State.
President Tinubu ordered the security agencies to ensure that the terrorists were swiftly brought to justice.
“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. They, and all those who aid, abet, or enable them in any form, will be caught and brought to justice,” the President declared in a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday.
He also directed security agencies to rescue all the abducted victims urgently.
Tinubu issued the directives in response to the recent killings of villagers in Niger State by terrorists suspected to be fleeing from Sokoto and Zamfara states following the United States’ air strike on Christmas Eve.
The President strongly condemned the attack on the Kasuwan Daji Community and the abduction of women and children.
He also sent his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of Niger State.
President Tinubu assured the people of Niger State that security agencies had been mandated to intensify operations around vulnerable communities, particularly those near the forests that have served as hideouts for criminal elements.
He urged Nigerians to remain united and resolute in the face of this tragedy and cautioned against divisive rhetoric that could undermine national security and cohesion during this challenging period.
“These times demand our humanity. We must stand together as one people and confront these monsters in unison.
“United, we can and must defeat them, deny them any sanctuary. We must reclaim the peace and security of these attacked communities,” he added.
Deadly Market Attack
Over 30 people were killed in a deadly attack by suspected terrorists at the Kasuwan-Daji market in the Demo community, located in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The attack which happened on Saturday also led to the abduction of many people.
Channels Television gathered that the gun-wielding attackers also carted away foodstuffs and other valuables worth millions of naira before setting the market ablaze.
The terrorists were said to have invaded the community on Saturday evening and operated until the early hours of Sunday.
A resident of the area said about 42 people were tied and killed by the terrorists, who operated without resistance.
The terrorists were said to have emerged from the National Park in Borgu LGA and launched the attack in broad daylight.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the attack on Sunday.
Niger State has experienced a surge in terrorist attacks in recent months, including the killing of 38 kidnapped villagers from Banga village by bandits, despite the payment of over ₦50 million as ransom in July 2025.
Schoolchildren’s Abduction
In November, 2025, bandits abducted over 300 pupils and students from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of the state.
Arriving around 2:00 a.m. on motorbikes, the gunmen stormed the school dormitories over a three-hour period, abducting 315 people—303 students and 12 teachers.
Security forces and community hunters were deployed to comb nearby forests for the abductees.
In the immediate aftermath, 50 pupils escaped within the first day and were reunited with their families.
Subsequently, the Federal Government secured the release of 100 schoolchildren.
Later on December 21, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said that all the abducted pupils of the St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Niger State, “numbering 230, have been freed”.
Several other states, especially in the northern region, have also come under attack by terrorists, a situation that prompted President Tinubu to order the withdrawal of police officers from VIP duties for deployment to troubled areas.
