No fewer than 40 people were killed on Saturday when terrorists invaded Kasuwa Daji market along the Sokobara–Tunga Demo axis in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting an unspecified number of women and children in what residents described as a coordinated and brutal attack.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the assailants stormed the rural market during peak trading hours, shooting indiscriminately, setting shops ablaze and extending the violence to surrounding villages, forcing residents to flee in fear.
A disturbing video obtained by SaharaReporters showed dozens of lifeless bodies scattered across the market, while plumes of thick smoke rose from the area, indicating widespread arson.
Residents said the scale of destruction became evident long before official confirmation, as smoke from the burning market and nearby settlements was visible from neighbouring communities.
A community representative told reporters that many of the victims were first rounded up by the attackers before being killed.
“From all the villages around us, we could see the smoke, but we did not know exactly what was happening,” he said. “Later, we were told that Kasuwa Daji had been burnt down and villages around the market were attacked.”
Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrested several residents, shot some on the spot and tied others with ropes before slaughtering them.
“Many people were arrested; many were shot, and many were captured, tied and gathered in one place. After that, people were slaughtered like goats,” the source said.
He added that bodies were still being discovered in bushes and around water points, pushing the death toll beyond initial estimates.
“When we counted the bodies we had already identified, they were close to 42. Another report has now come that yet another body was found near the water area,” he said.
The attack has reportedly left Kasuwa Daji largely deserted, as residents fled to neighbouring communities for safety. Those who remained were said to be traumatised and unsure of the fate of missing relatives.
“Many families have not been able to identify their relatives because they do not know where they are,” the community representative added.
He confirmed that the attackers abducted women and children while retreating from the community.
“We heard that as they were leaving, they took away wives, some young women and small children. Up till now, we do not know the number of people taken away,” he said.
Residents accused security agencies of failing to respond promptly to the attack, claiming that no security personnel were sighted hours after the massacre.
“From about 5pm yesterday until this morning, we did not see a single security operative,” the resident lamented. “Parents are crying, and we do not know what situation their loved ones are in.”
The community has appealed to the Federal and Niger State governments to urgently deploy security forces to the area and provide humanitarian assistance to displaced residents.
“This calamity is too much for rural people to bear,” the source said. “People have lost their homes, and there is fear everywhere.”
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