Tinubu orders manhunt as Niger attacks claim 40 lives

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a manhunt for the terrorists behind coordinated attacks on communities in Niger State that killed over 40 people and led to the abduction of many residents. In a statement personally signed on Sunday, the President directed 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 (DSS) to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people. They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions,” Tinubu said, adding that anyone who aids or enables the attackers will also be prosecuted. He further ordered the immediate rescue of all abducted victims and directed security agencies to intensify operations around vulnerable communities, especially those near forests.

The presidential directive followed coordinated attacks by suspected bandits on Saturday in Agwara and Borgu local government areas of Niger State. According to the Niger State Police Command, the attackers reportedly emerged from the National Park forest along Kabe District before storming Kasuwan Daji in Demo Village.

Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said the attack began around 4:30 p.m. and lasted several hours, during which the attackers killed residents, burnt the market, looted shops and carted away food items. He noted that the area’s remoteness limited resistance, but security forces were later deployed and efforts are ongoing to rescue abducted victims.

While police put the death toll at over 30, residents and community leaders said more than 40 people were killed. The Director of Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Rev. Fr Stephen Kabirat, said women and children were among those abducted, adding that attacks had spread across several communities, forcing many residents to flee for safety.

Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, condemned the killings, describing them as callous and a crime against humanity. He expressed condolences to Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and the affected families, urging security agencies to deploy all available resources to crush the perpetrators and prevent further bloodshed.