LAGOS, Nigeria — In a brutal assault underscoring Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, armed militias locally termed ‘bandits’ conducted a deadly raid on Kasuwan Daji village in Niger State’s Kabe district, leaving over 30 civilians dead and multiple hostages captured. The attack occurred mere kilometers from where hundreds of students were abducted months earlier.
According to Niger State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun, the assailants torched local markets and systematically looted food supplies during their hours-long occupation on Saturday. Disturbing visual evidence obtained by international media shows executed victims with hands bound behind their backs, indicating execution-style killings.
This incident represents the latest escalation in northwestern and north-central Nigeria’s banditry epidemic, where criminal gangs regularly orchestrate mass kidnappings for ransom and village pillaging. The Catholic Church in Kontagora reported security forces were conspicuously absent during the assault and placed the death toll above 40—significantly higher than official figures.
The violence occurs against a complex security backdrop where Africa’s most populous nation contends with overlapping conflicts including jihadist insurgencies, separatist movements, and intercommunal violence. Recent months have seen increased international scrutiny, with U.S. officials criticizing Nigeria’s security approach despite Abuja’s coordination with American counterterrorism operations.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has prioritized defense spending in its latest budget allocation, appointing a new defense minister and promising security overhauls. However, the persistence of attacks near previous mass abduction sites demonstrates the formidable challenges facing Nigeria’s stretched security apparatus.