Tinubu orders manhunt for kasuwan daji attackers after deadly Niger market raid
President Bola Tinubu has ordered an immediate security crackdown following the deadly attack on Kasuwan Daji community in Niger State, directing top security chiefs to track down and arrest those responsible.
The President instructed the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services to ensure the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice. He also ordered the urgent rescue of all abducted victims.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said the attackers had tested the resolve of the nation and must face the full weight of the law. He warned that no individual or group involved in the violence, including those who aided or enabled the attack, would escape justice.
The directive followed the killing of dozens of villagers in the Kasuwan Daji area of Borgu Local Government Area by terrorists believed to be fleeing operations in Sokoto and Zamfara states. The President strongly condemned the assault on the community, which also led to the abduction of women and children, describing it as a brutal act against innocent Nigerians.
Tinubu expressed condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of Niger State, and assured residents that security operations would be intensified around vulnerable communities, particularly those close to forest areas known to serve as hideouts for criminal elements.
He urged Nigerians to remain united and avoid divisive rhetoric, stressing that national cohesion was critical at a time of heightened security challenges. According to him, collective resolve and cooperation remain essential to reclaiming peace in affected communities.
More than 30 people were reportedly killed when gunmen attacked the Kasuwan Daji market in the Demo community on Saturday. The assailants were said to have looted foodstuffs and valuables worth millions of naira before setting the market ablaze and operating into the early hours of Sunday without resistance.
Local residents claimed that about 42 people were tied up and killed during the attack, which was launched in broad daylight after the terrorists emerged from a nearby national park. The Niger State Police Command later confirmed the incident.
Niger State has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks in recent months, including the killing of 38 kidnapped villagers from Banga community in July 2025 despite the payment of a ransom exceeding ₦50 million. In November 2025, more than 300 pupils and teachers were abducted from St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area. All the abducted schoolchildren were eventually freed after sustained security operations.
The persistent attacks across Niger and other northern states had earlier prompted President Tinubu to order the withdrawal of police officers from VIP duties for redeployment to security flashpoints.