Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State — Renewed violence struck several communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State over the weekend as suspected armed bandits carried out coordinated raids that left dozens of residents dead, properties incinerated and civilians abducted in a series of early-morning assaults. Security officials and residents provided evolving accounts of the attacks, indicating a grim toll and escalating fear among local populations.
According to official police statements, the first major assault occurred in Tunga-Makeri village in the Shafachi district in the early hours of Saturday, when gunmen riding on motorcycles stormed homes, fired indiscriminately and killed at least six people. Several houses were set on fire and a number of residents were abducted, Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Wasiu Abiodun said, while joint security teams were mobilised to the scene to assess the situation and pursue the attackers.
Residents described the bandits as heavily armed and operating with apparent impunity due to limited security presence in the remote rural areas. After the initial attack in Tunga-Makeri, the assailants reportedly moved towards Konkoso and neighbouring communities such as Pissa, continuing their rampage. Local eyewitness accounts and news reports suggest that in these subsequent incursions civilians were shot dead, buildings were razed and a police station in Pissa was set ablaze.
The broader death toll from the coordinated assaults remains contested. Some residents and media outlets cite figures suggesting up to 32 people may have been killed across the three communities, including in Konkoso and Pissa, where the attack extended into the morning. Houses, granaries and a police outpost were destroyed in the conflagrations, according to those local reports.
In the initial phase of the violence, the attackers are reported to have struck at around 3:00 a.m. in Tunga-Makeri before moving on to other settlements. Residents told journalists that they fled into bushland to escape gunfire, and that many homes were burnt, compounding the trauma of the fatalities and abductions. Officials have not yet released an updated comprehensive casualty figure, saying that details are still “sketchy” as security forces continue operations in the area.
The attack underscores the chronic insecurity afflicting rural communities in north-central Nigeria, where banditry, armed robbery and militant violence have repeatedly targeted farmers and village settlements. Borgu, located near the border with Benin Republic and encompassing expansive forested terrain, has been a persistent flashpoint for such violence, often linked to criminal gangs that kidnap for ransom and attack isolated villages with little resistance.
Security analysts note that these raids, like others in recent months, exploit the limited reach of state security infrastructure in remote areas. Residents report that the attackers come in large numbers, often on motorcycles — a common tactic that enables rapid movement across rugged terrain — and overwhelm unprotected communities before retreating into forests or neighbouring localities.
The destruction of the police station in Pissa represents a notable escalation, signalling that bandits are increasingly targeting not only civilian settlements but also state security assets. Authorities have repeatedly pledged to boost patrols and deploy reinforcements in vulnerable districts, but residents say the absence of a persistent security presence continues to embolden criminal elements.
While the official recorded fatalities in Tunga-Makeri stand at six, local sources consistently report higher cumulative casualty figures across Borgu’s affected communities, suggesting that the full human cost of the attack is still emerging. Abductions remain a serious concern, with villagers citing unspecified numbers of missing persons following the raids.
State security agencies and joint task forces have reportedly increased operations in the area since the attacks were reported, deploying reinforcements and conducting assessments to recover abducted civilians. But for residents of Borgu’s rural settlements, fear and displacement persist as families count their dead, sift through wrecked homes, and seek safer ground.
The weekend’s violence in Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso and Pissa is part of a broader pattern of insecurity that has claimed hundreds of lives across northern Nigeria in recent months, deepening humanitarian distress and adding pressure on federal and state authorities to address the complex security challenges that drive such attacks
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