In a response to the brutal attack that claimed over 30 lives, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s top security chiefs to immediately track down, apprehend, and bring to justice the perpetrators responsible for the massacre in Kasuwan Daji community, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The President issued the directives on Sunday, January 4, following Saturday’s devastating raid on the Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, where armed terrorists described locally as bandits killed at least 30 people (including women), abducted several others (many reports suggest women and children), looted foodstuffs and valuables worth millions of naira, and set the market ablaze. The attackers reportedly emerged from the nearby Kainji Lake National Park forest and operated for hours with little initial resistance.
President Tinubu strongly condemned the “barbaric” attack and the abduction of innocent civilians, extending heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the government, and people of Niger State. In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President declared:
“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 has instructed:
- The Minister of Defence
- The Chief of Defence Staff
- All Service Chiefs
- The Inspector-General of Police
- The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS)
to launch an intensified manhunt and urgently rescue all abducted victims.
He further assured residents of Niger State that security forces would ramp up operations in vulnerable communities, especially those bordering forests long used as hideouts by criminal elements. President Tinubu called for national unity, warning against divisive rhetoric that could weaken collective resolve, and emphasized:
“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.”
Niger State Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the casualties and ongoing rescue operations, noting a joint security team had visited the scene.
The President’s decisive orders come as Nigeria continues to grapple with multiple security challenges, including banditry, insurgency, and the fallout from international counterterrorism cooperation.