Residents of multiple rural communities in Agwara Local Government Area and Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, located in North Central Nigeria, have begun fleeing their ancestral homes following fresh threats issued by armed terrorist groups in the aftermath of a deadly weekend assault that claimed more than forty lives.
The affected areas lie close to Nigeria’s Kainji Lake National Park, a vast forest reserve that security experts have repeatedly identified as a hideout for armed criminal groups operating across Niger and Kebbi States.
Okay News reports that fear has intensified across border settlements linking Agwara, Borgu, and neighbouring Kebbi State after villagers received warnings that the attackers intended to return to continue the killings, sparking widespread panic and displacement.
Residents from Kwana, the final settlement in Agwara Local Government Area, and Tungan Salama near Papiri in Borgu Local Government Area said intelligence from local sources indicated that the terrorists were regrouping for another assault.
Kasuwan Daji, a rural border community located between Agwara and Borgu Local Government Areas, was identified as the epicentre of the attack that occurred on Saturday, 3 January 2026. The settlement, known for hosting a popular weekly market every Wednesday, was reportedly overrun by gunmen who tied up their victims before killing forty-two men and setting houses and market stalls ablaze.
Survivors alleged that soldiers deployed after the attack withdrew shortly after arrival, leaving communities exposed and without any visible security presence.
A resident who requested anonymity appealed directly to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Niger State Government to immediately reinforce security across the region.
“Without security there will be a massive and on-going loss of life and permanent displacement of large numbers of people.
“It is clear that pending the elimination of the terrorists and dismantling of their hideouts in Kainji Game Reserve, there is an immediate need for a large and well-equipped military task force in the area capable of and empowered to pursue, engage and eliminate these terrorists whenever they come out of the Game Reserve again for further attacks,” he said.
Confirming the growing humanitarian concern, the Director of Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Reverend Father Matthew Kabirat, said priests and parishioners were relocating for safety.
“As I am talking to you, our parishioners and priests are leaving for fear of possible attacks. The security personnel that came after the incident cannot be found, there are no signs of help for the people. These terrorists are having a field day and our people are moving from that axis for fear of either being killed or kidnapped,” he said.
Providing background details, Kabirat disclosed that on Sunday, 28 December 2025, heavily armed terrorists arrived on approximately thirty motorcycles, with two people riding on each.
“The victims are both Christians and Muslims; they also kidnapped an unknown number of women and children. They set the place on fire. It was so intense that the smoke could be seen fifteen kilometres away at Papiri,” he said.
He added that the attackers moved from hideouts within Borgu Game Reserve through Kanu Hills and several villages including Sokonbora, Bako-Mission, and Shafaci, before crossing into Kebbi State.
“They crossed into Kebbi State, north of Shafaci, and proceeded to the village of Kaiwa, where they killed five people and set fire to houses and grain stores. They then moved on to Gebe, where they killed two more people,” he explained.
According to him, the attackers returned on Thursday, 1 January 2026, burning official documents at a police station before continuing their rampage.
“They passed through Shafaci again and burned documents at the Police Station before spending the night in the bush,” he said.
Another resident, Abuka, described widespread trauma among families already affected by previous abductions.
“Between Sunday, 28 December 2025 and Saturday, 3 January 2026, this group of bandits have been roaming freely without being challenged by security forces.
“As a result, the Papiri school children, who were recently released from captivity, including my daughter, have been further traumatised as they are forced to hide in the bush with their families,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Niger State Police Command spokesperson were unsuccessful.
However, the Niger State Commissioner for Information, Obed Nana, confirmed the attacks and urged calm.
“The Government of Niger State is deeply saddened by this unfortunate tragedy and is collaborating with the Federal Government of Nigeria and security agencies to forestall further attacks, while calling on the people to remain vigilant,” he said.
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Sunday, 4 January 2026, ordered a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrators, directing 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 to bring the attackers to justice.
“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people. They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions,” the President said.
Meanwhile, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in Nigeria’s National Assembly, condemned the killings in a statement issued in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, on Monday, 5 January 2026.
“My heart is heavy as I mourn the innocent men and women who were brutally murdered at Kasuwan Daji Market,” she said.
