Bandits Kill 85‑Year‑Old Woman, Abduct Villagers in Borgu, Niger State

Bandits Kill 85‑Year‑Old Woman, Abduct Villagers in Borgu, Niger State

Borgu, Niger State, Nigeria — Bandit gangs have struck again in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, killing an elderly woman and abducting several villagers during a predawn raid that underscores the persistent insecurity facing frontier communities in the region. The attack has deepened fears among residents and highlighted urgent calls for stronger protection and intervention by security forces. 

According to eyewitness accounts and official reports, the assailants stormed Kabe Village late on Tuesday night, riding into the settlement on motorcycles before moving from house to house in search of foodstuffs and supplies. During the chaos, 85‑year‑old Amina Adamu — also identified in some reports as Hajiya Amina Adamu Kabe — was fatally shot as she attempted to flee the scene. Residents said the aged woman’s death came amid a burst of gunfire as the bandits looted homes and villagers’ provisions.

Multiple villagers were also abducted during the raid, though official figures on the number of captives have not yet been disclosed. Sources on the ground told journalists that the attackers appeared to be focused on seizing food and other resources, believed to be intended for use by accomplices hiding in nearby forest areas. The bandits reportedly completed their operation before disappearing into the surrounding bushland, leaving the community traumatised and grieving. 

The incident occurred just hours after Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago visited the Emir of Borgu to console leaders over recent violence in the emirate and announced planned security operations to clear armed groups out of the Kainji National Park and other forest hideouts used as bases by criminal elements. 

Residents described a sense of abandonment and fear, noting that previous attacks in the area have prompted waves of displacement and calls for more robust security presence. Some villagers said they had long pleaded with authorities for increased patrols and protection but felt that security support on the ground remained limited, even as warnings of further raids circulated in local communities. 

The broader Borgu area has been a hotspot for bandit violence, with several deadly raids in recent weeks and months. In a separate attack reported in early January, gunmen struck the Kasuwan Daji market in the Borgu axis, killing scores of people, abducting others, and burning structures and goods, before fleeing into the dense forests near Kainji Lake. 

In response to Wednesday’s assault, traditional leaders and community representatives urged urgent deployment of additional security operatives and air surveillance to deter further incursions. They also appealed for accelerated implementation of the governor’s planned operation against armed criminal groups and stronger coordination between federal and state security agencies. 

Relatives of those abducted and villagers shaken by the latest violence called for immediate rescue efforts and clearer communication from authorities. Civil society organisations and local human rights advocates highlighted the need for both immediate humanitarian support for displaced families and long‑term strategies to address the root causes of insecurity, including poverty, lack of infrastructure, and weak law enforcement presence in rural borderlands. 

As residents bury their dead and await news of the missing, the Niger State Government has yet to issue a definitive casualty count or list of abducted villagers, though security sources confirmed that patrols and intelligence gathering have been stepped up in surrounding communities to prevent further attacks. 

The killing of an elderly woman and abduction of villagers in Borgu adds to a growing catalogue of atrocities attributed to bandits in northwestern and central Nigeria, fuelling concerns about the spill‑over of violence from forest hideouts and the capacity of security forces to protect vulnerable rural populations. 

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