Barely two days after more than 40 people were brutally killed in Agwara and Borgu Local Government Areas of Niger State, suspected terrorists have widened their operations, launching fresh attacks in neighbouring Kwara State and further destabilising the North-Central region.
In the early hours of Monday, armed men ambushed motorists along the Isanlu–Isin–Omu Aran highway in Kwara State, a major route linking Kwara South to Ilorin. At least four travelers were reportedly abducted during the operation, which eyewitnesses say lasted several minutes without interruption.
According to a source familiar with the incident, the attackers blocked the road, forced vehicles to stop, and dragged passengers into the surrounding bush. “The bandits were in control of the road and operated freely. Anyone heading toward Ilorin was at risk,” the source said.
As of press time, the Kwara State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or confirm rescue efforts for the abducted victims.
Rising Kidnappings Heighten Fear in Kwara
The latest highway attack adds to a troubling surge in insecurity across Kwara State. In November 2025, gunmen stormed a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku during a midweek service, killing three worshippers and abducting 38 congregants, including the pastor. Although those abducted were later released, residents say fear remains widespread as attacks continue unabated.
Police Outpost Torched in Niger State
Meanwhile, suspected bandits also attacked a Nigeria Police Border Patrol outpost at New Kalli village in Borgu LGA, Niger State, less than 48 hours after the deadly Kasuwan Daji market massacre.
Security sources disclosed that the attackers arrived on motorcycles around midnight, set the police accommodation ablaze, destroyed officers’ belongings, and torched farm produce belonging to residents. No casualties were recorded.
Confirming the attack, Niger State Police spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, said the assailants were engaged in a gun battle and eventually repelled. However, the outpost was engulfed in flames during the exchange, prompting the deployment of reinforcements to restore normalcy.
Communities Abandoned as Residents Flee
The renewed violence has triggered a mass displacement of residents in Agwara and Borgu LGAs, with families fleeing their ancestral homes amid rumours of impending attacks.
Villages such as Kwana and Tugan Salama, located near Papiri—where over 300 pupils and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School were abducted weeks earlier—have been largely deserted. Residents say the absence of sustained security presence has left them vulnerable.
Reverend Father Matthew Kabirat, Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, confirmed that priests and parishioners are relocating for safety. “There are no visible security personnel. People are leaving out of fear of being killed or kidnapped,” he said, adding that victims include Christians and Muslims, women and children alike.
Calls for Military Intervention
Community members are now demanding urgent federal intervention, including the deployment of a well-equipped military task force to confront the terrorists, who are believed to operate from the Borgu Games Reserve and move through surrounding villages to launch attacks.
A resident identified as Abuka said families are repeatedly forced to hide in the bush whenever reports emerge that bandits are nearby. “Children who were recently released from captivity are traumatised again. People are fleeing to safer towns,” he lamented.
Peter Obi Condemns ‘Normalisation’ of Killings
Reacting to the Niger State massacre, former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, condemned what he described as the growing normalisation of mass killings in Nigeria.
In a post on X, Obi warned that the country was entering the new year under the shadow of unchecked violence, citing similar attacks in Plateau, Kano, Katsina, and other states. He described the failure to protect citizens as a national disgrace and called for a coordinated, intelligence-driven security response.
APC Describes Attacks as Barbaric
Also reacting, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, denounced the attacks as barbaric and inhuman. He expressed sympathy with affected communities and reaffirmed the party’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s security strategies.
Yilwatda said the government remains committed to dismantling terrorist networks and restoring peace, insisting that criminal elements would not prevail over Nigeria’s collective resolve.
