President Bola Tinubu on Sunday directed the military, police, and State Security Service (SSS) to locate and apprehend those responsible for the deadly attack on Kasuwan Daji market in Niger State, which left at least 30 villagers dead and saw scores of women and children abducted. The President also called on security agencies to immediately rescue all kidnapped victims, warning that the perpetrators “must face the full consequences of their criminal actions.” In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu linked the Saturday attack to terrorists fleeing Sokoto and Zamfara states following a United States airstrike on Christmas Eve. The bandits struck Kasuwan Daji market in Demo community, Borgu Local Government Area, on January 3, 2026. They killed 30 people, abducted many others, and set the market on fire. Niger State Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that suspected bandits from the National Park forest along Kabe District carried out the attack, looting shops and taking food items. “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,” the President said. He added that anyone aiding or abetting the attackers “will be caught and brought to justice.” Tinubu extended condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Niger State, assuring that security agencies have been instructed to strengthen operations in vulnerable areas. The directive follows US airstrikes in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State between December 25 and 26, 2025, which targeted terrorist bases in the Bauni axis. The operation, using 16 MQ-9 Reaper drone munitions, struck two Islamic State sites where fighters were attempting to infiltrate Nigeria from the Sahel. The Lakurawa group, active in remote areas of Sokoto, northwest Zamfara, and Kebbi states, has been designated a terrorist organization by the Federal Government. Analysts say that the US strikes displaced terrorists from Sokoto and Zamfara, pushing them to seek new bases in Niger State. Residents reported seeing armed men moving through surrounding communities for nearly a week before the attack. The assault occurred near Papiri community, where over 300 schoolchildren and teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in November 2025. Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain united against security threats, warning against divisive rhetoric that could undermine national cohesion. “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,” he said. In 2025, Nigeria was ranked the sixth most terrorized country globally, up two positions from the previous year. Non-state armed groups killed at least 2,266 people in the first half of 2025, nearly double the 1,083 fatalities during the same period in 2024, and surpassing the 2,194 deaths recorded for all of 2024. To strengthen the nation’s security, Tinubu proposed a N5.41 trillion allocation for the sector in the 2026 budget—the largest ever for a single sector—aimed at equipping the military, boosting joint operations among security agencies, and supporting community-based peacebuilding initiatives to counter violent extremism.
