PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an all-out security offensive to hunt down terrorists responsible for a deadly attack on Kasuwan Daji community in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, as fresh details emerged indicating that the death toll from the assault has climbed to about 50 persons, with dozens more injured or abducted.
The President directed the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately track down and apprehend those behind the attack and ensure that all abducted victims are rescued without delay.
In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu condemned the killings and described the attack as a direct challenge to Nigeria’s sovereignty and collective resolve.
“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.
The attack occurred on Saturday evening at the bustling Kasuwan Daji market in the Demo community, where armed assailants reportedly stormed the area and operated for several hours into the early hours of Sunday.
Eyewitness accounts and security sources said the attackers, who allegedly emerged from the Kainji National Park axis, killed dozens of residents, abducted many others mostly women and children and set parts of the market ablaze after looting food items and valuables worth millions of naira.
A resident told News Point Nigeria that the attackers operated without resistance and extended their assault beyond the market, invading nearby homes.
According to community sources, the total death toll, including those killed at the market and in surrounding settlements, has risen to about 50, with 43 victims given a mass burial. Several others reportedly fled into the bush with gunshot wounds.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that a report of the attack was received late Saturday night.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said suspected terrorists invaded Kasuwan Daji from the National Park forest along the Kabe District, killing over 30 people, burning the market, and abducting an unspecified number of residents.
He added that a joint security task force, comprising the police, military personnel, and other security agencies, had been deployed to the affected areas and surrounding forests to rescue abducted victims and prevent further attacks.
“Efforts are ongoing to locate the perpetrators and rescue those taken away. Further developments will be communicated,” Abiodun said.
President Tinubu also directed security agencies to urgently rescue all abducted persons, particularly women and children, while intensifying surveillance and operations around vulnerable communities and forest corridors known to serve as hideouts for criminal groups.
The President extended his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as the government and people of Niger State, urging Nigerians to remain united and avoid rhetoric capable of undermining national cohesion.
“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, and reclaim peace and security for these communities,” he said.
The Kasuwan Daji attack is the latest in a series of deadly terrorist assaults that have plagued Niger State in recent months.
In July 2025, bandits killed 38 kidnapped villagers from Banga community despite the payment of more than ₦50 million in ransom.
In November 2025, armed men abducted over 300 pupils and teachers from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area. The attackers stormed the school around 2:00 a.m. on motorbikes and carried out the operation over several hours.
Following sustained military operations and negotiations, all 230 remaining abducted pupils were eventually freed, according to the Federal Government.