MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Feb 14 - Armed assailants riding motorcycles struck three villages in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State in the early hours of Saturday, killing at least 30 people, setting buildings alight and prompting mass displacement, residents who escaped the attacks said.
The raids occurred near the border with the Benin Republic and form part of a recent wave of violence attributed to bandit groups that have carried out deadly attacks, abducted people for ransom and driven residents from their homes across northern Nigeria. The mounting insecurity has placed pressure on authorities to restore stability to affected communities.
Wasiu Abiodun, the Niger State police spokesperson, confirmed an attack in one of the communities. "Suspected bandits invaded Tunga-Makeri village … six persons lost their lives, some houses were also set ablaze, and a yet-to-be ascertained number of persons were abducted," Abiodun said. He added that the assailants had moved on to Konkoso village, while details of other attacks remained unclear.
Jeremiah Timothy, a resident of Konkoso who fled to a nearby locality, described how the assault on his village unfolded in the early morning. "At least 26 people were killed so far in the village after they set the police station ablaze," he said, adding that the attackers entered Konkoso around 6 a.m. (0500 GMT), shooting indiscriminately. He said residents heard military jets flying overhead.
Another witness, who asked not to be named, said the attackers swept through the area on more than 200 motorbikes, targeting multiple settlements in the locality.
Auwal Ibrahim, a resident of Tunga-Makeri, gave a separate account of the assault there, saying the attackers arrived in the pre-dawn hours. "The bandits stormed our town around 3:00 a.m. (local time), riding so many motorcycles while shooting sporadically, beheading six people and killing others. They set shops on fire and forced the whole village to flee," Ibrahim said. He added that many villagers fear returning as the gunmen remain nearby.
Residents said houses and shops were torched during the attacks and that people were taken from their homes. Local authorities acknowledged fatalities and reports of abductions but said details of some incidents were still being established. The combination of fatalities, property destruction and kidnappings has compounded displacement and heightened concerns among civilians in the affected area.
The attacks in Borgu Local Government Area underscore ongoing security challenges in parts of northern Nigeria, where bandit-related violence has involved armed raids, ransom kidnappings and the forced displacement of communities. Officials at the state level have faced increasing pressure to respond to the surge in violence and to bring stability to the impacted localities.