Gunmen attacked Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, Niger state, killing at least 30 people and abducting others after setting fire to stalls at about 4:30pm on Saturday. Police said the attackers came from the National Park Forest along Kabe district and witnesses reported motorbike-riding gunmen fired indiscriminately, including at women and children. Niger state has seen repeated mass abductions this year and security forces say they are struggling to contain the violence. The incident has also drawn international attention after U.S. air strikes on ISIL positions in northwest Nigeria and contested public statements framing the violence in sectarian terms.
Gunmen Kill 30+ And Abduct Others In Raid On Demo Village Market, Niger State
[Al Jazeera]
Gunmen attacked Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village, Niger state, on Saturday at about 4:30pm local time (15:30 GMT), killing at least 30 people and abducting others, police said. Authorities described the raid as one of the latest and deadliest in a string of attacks that have battered remote communities in the region.
“Over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack; some persons were also kidnapped,” Niger state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement on Sunday. Police said the assailants set fire to market stalls and looted food supplies.
According to investigators and witnesses, the attackers emerged from the National Park Forest along Kabe district — a pattern consistent with previous incidents in which expansive forest reserves serve as hideouts for armed groups. Witnesses said the gunmen arrived on motorcycles and opened fire indiscriminately.
“Women and children were not spared,”
said Dauda Shakulle, who was wounded while fleeing and spoke to Reuters. “There has been no presence of security forces since the attacks began. We are currently recovering corpses.”
Niger state’s Borgu local government area was the scene of a high-profile abduction in November when more than 300 pupils and teachers were taken from a Catholic school; those captives were released after nearly a month. Officials say Niger state remains one of the hardest-hit areas and that security forces are struggling to contain the violence despite ongoing operations.
International Response And Controversy
The raid comes amid heightened international attention and political debate. Former United States President Donald Trump publicly framed the violence in sectarian terms and called for action; on December 25 the U.S., in coordination with Nigerian authorities, carried out air strikes against ISIL (ISIS) positions in northwest Nigeria. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria.”
The Nigerian government has rejected a purely sectarian characterization of the violence, saying that victims include both Muslims and Christians and that armed groups target communities across faiths and ethnicities. Local residents and security analysts continue to call for stronger protection for remote communities and sustained efforts to deny armed groups safe havens in forested areas.
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