Terror Strikes Again: 42 Killed as Gunmen Abduct Niger School Students

Just days after securing their release, students of St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have once again been caught up in a fresh wave of terror attacks.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Gunmen struck on Saturday, killing at least 42 people, including women and children, when they raided Kasuwan Daji and Kaima villages. The attackers looted food supplies, set markets ablaze, and abducted numerous residents during the coordinated assault.

A resident familiar with the affected communities disclosed that the terrorists, believed to have emerged from the Kainji National Park, seized several villagers, among them some of the recently freed Papiri schoolchildren.

“They killed 37 people in Kasuwan Daji near Papiri and another five in Kaima village. Many others were abducted, including children and students who had only just regained their freedom,” the source told Sunday Sun.

The assailants reportedly entered the area from Kebbi State via the River Rofia corridor, a route increasingly used for attacks on surrounding communities. Only days earlier, bandits fleeing a military operation in Kwara State had invaded Gebe and Goro villages, killing two residents and destroying more than 15 houses.

Last week, terrorists also overran a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps checkpoint in Wawa, Borgu Local Government Area, making away with weapons after security personnel fled.

Confirming the latest attacks, the Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Reverend Father Stephen Kabirat, said the death toll had exceeded 40. He revealed that the parish priest narrowly escaped abduction when gunmen stormed the mission house three days earlier.

“They vandalised religious items, stole two motorcycles, and carted away over ₦200,000 in cash,” he said.

Another resident lamented that fear has forced many villagers, including families of the abducted students, to seek refuge in nearby bushes at night.

“Some communities where the abducted schoolchildren come from have been sleeping in the bushes since their return because of the persistent attacks,” he said.

The Niger State Police Command also confirmed the incident. The spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said more than 30 people were killed during the Saturday evening assault.

“At about 4:30 p.m., suspected bandits from the National Park forest invaded Kasuwan Daji at Demo Village, killing over 30 people, burning the market, and looting shops,” he stated.

Abiodun added that a joint security team had been deployed to the area and that efforts to rescue the abducted victims were ongoing, promising further updates as investigations continue.