President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a nationwide manhunt following the killing of more than 40 people in Niger State underscores the worsening security crisis confronting Nigeria’s rural communities.
The attack, carried out by suspected bandits in broad daylight, has once again exposed the vulnerability of remote settlements and reignited public concern over the reach and audacity of armed groups operating across the country.
In a strongly worded statement personally signed by the President, he described the attackers as enemies of the Nigerian state who had crossed a red line and ordered the full mobilisation of the nation’s security architecture, instructing 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 to hunt down those responsible for the killings and ensure they face justice.
Tinubu warned that not only the perpetrators but also anyone aiding or enabling terrorist activities would be pursued, stressing that no sanctuary would be allowed anywhere in the country.
The President framed the battle against terrorism as a collective national struggle, calling on Nigerians to remain united in the face of what he described as “monsters” preying on innocent communities.
According to the Niger State Police Command, gunmen emerged from the National Park forest along the Kabe District before storming Kasuwan Daji market in Demo Village, in Agwara and Borgu local government areas. The assault began around 4:30 p.m. and lasted for hours, during which shops were looted, food items carted away and the market set ablaze.
While police initially confirmed that more than 30 people were killed, local residents and religious leaders insist the death toll is significantly higher.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora put the figure at no fewer than 40, a discrepancy that highlights long-standing challenges in casualty verification following mass attacks in hard-to-reach areas.
Security officials admitted that the remoteness of the community and its proximity to forest cover limited early resistance, allowing the attackers to operate freely before reinforcements arrived.
Joint security teams have since been deployed, and search operations are ongoing to rescue those abducted during the raid.
For survivors, the massacre has left deep scars and renewed fears about daily life.
For the government, the tragedy adds urgency to calls for more effective intelligence-gathering, sustained military presence around forest corridors, and long-term strategies to prevent bandits from regrouping after attacks.
