At least 50 people have been confirmed dead following a brutal armed attack on a local market in Niger State, north-central Nigeria, according to local authorities and community sources.
The attack occurred on Saturday at the Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, a busy trading hub where residents from surrounding communities gather weekly to buy and sell foodstuffs and household goods. Eyewitnesses said heavily armed gunmen stormed the market in the early hours, opening fire indiscriminately on traders and shoppers.
Residents reported that the attackers killed dozens of people on the spot, abducted several others, and looted large quantities of food supplies before fleeing the area. Many of the victims were women and elderly traders who had come to the market to earn a living.
Mass Burial As Communities Mourn
Following the attack, a mass burial was held for the victims amid grief and anger in the affected communities. Survivors and family members described scenes of devastation, with bodies scattered across the market grounds and surrounding paths.
The wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals, where medical personnel are struggling to cope with the influx of patients amid limited resources. Local health workers said several victims remain in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise further.
“This is one of the darkest days our community has experienced,” a resident of Demo village told local reporters. “People came to the market to survive, not knowing they were walking into death.”
President Tinubu Condemns Attack
Nigeria’s President, , strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a “heinous and cowardly act” against innocent civilians.
In a statement issued on Sunday, President Tinubu said he had directed security agencies to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators and secure the release of those abducted.
“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people,” the president said. “They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions.”
He further disclosed that he had ordered security operations to be reinforced around vulnerable communities, particularly in regions that have experienced repeated attacks by armed groups.
Warnings Ignored As Attackers Lurked
Local residents revealed that the attackers had been sighted in the area for about a week before the assault, raising serious concerns about intelligence failures and the absence of preventive security measures.
“We saw strange movements in the bush days before the attack,” a community leader said. “We alerted local authorities, but no security personnel were deployed. Now we are burying our people.”
The market attack is believed to be part of a broader wave of violence that began on Friday in nearby communities, including Agwarra and Borgu. Residents in those areas reported raids on villages, looting of homes, and sporadic gunfire.
Despite the escalating violence, locals say there has been little to no visible security presence since the attacks began, leaving communities exposed and fearful.
Link To Previous Mass Kidnapping
The attack on Kasuwan Daji market occurred close to the Papiri community, where more than 300 schoolchildren and their teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in November. Although some of the abducted victims from that incident were later released, it remains one of the largest school kidnappings in the region.
The proximity of the latest attack to the Papiri incident has renewed concerns about the operational freedom of armed groups in Niger State and surrounding areas.
Security analysts warn that the continued targeting of markets, schools, and rural communities reflects a deliberate strategy to destabilise local populations, weaken trust in government protection, and sustain criminal operations through ransom and looting.
Growing Insecurity Across Nigeria
Bandit attacks, mass kidnappings, and communal violence have continued to escalate across northwestern and central Nigeria, despite repeated military operations and government assurances.
Armed groups, often referred to locally as bandits, have increasingly targeted civilians, exploiting porous borders, difficult terrain, and limited security coverage in rural areas.
While authorities maintain that progress is being made against criminal networks, many Nigerians remain sceptical, citing the frequency and brutality of attacks as evidence of deep-rooted security challenges.
Human rights groups have also raised concerns about the humanitarian impact of the violence, warning that persistent insecurity is disrupting livelihoods, food supply chains, and access to education across affected regions.
Calls For Urgent Action
Community leaders and civil society organisations are calling on the federal government to move beyond reactive responses and invest in long-term security solutions, including intelligence gathering, community policing, and economic support for vulnerable populations.
“There must be consequences for those who carry out these atrocities,” said a local activist. “But there must also be protection for communities before attacks happen, not after.”
As families mourn the dead and search for missing loved ones, uncertainty continues to hang over Demo village and neighbouring communities, many of which fear further attacks in the coming days.
The tragedy at Kasuwan Daji market stands as another grim reminder of Nigeria’s ongoing struggle to restore peace and security, particularly in rural areas where civilians remain the primary victims of violence.
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