More than 50 people were killed on Saturday when armed attackers stormed a busy market in Kasuwan Daji, a town in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. Among those who lost their lives was a Christian pastor who was deliberately targeted during the violence.
The victim, Reverend Ishaya Bamayi, served as a church leader in the nearby Kwana District. Local residents said he had gone to the market in the afternoon when the shooting began. As people ran for safety, the attackers reportedly recognised him as a Christian pastor and chased him before killing him.
Reverend Bamayi is survived by his wife and five children. Community members said his wife became seriously unwell after receiving the news of his death.
The attack took place in daylight at the weekly market, which normally attracts farmers and traders from surrounding villages. Witnesses described how groups of armed men arrived on motorcycles, firing weapons and forcing people to flee. Some victims were shot at close range, while others were taken away by the attackers.
Local traders reported that many stalls and food shops were looted and burned during the assault. By the time security forces reached the area, the gunmen had already escaped through nearby forest routes.
Kasuwan Daji lies near large forest areas and river routes that are often used by armed groups to move between Niger, Kebbi and Zamfara states. Residents said they had warned of unusual armed movement in the region days before the market, but no additional security was put in place.
The Niger State Police confirmed the attack happened at around 4:30 pm and announced that joint security teams, including police and military units, are now searching for the attackers and trying to locate those who were abducted.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the violence and instructed security agencies to strengthen operations in the area. Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago also said the state would review safety measures in communities considered at risk.
For many families, the attack adds to years of ongoing insecurity in the region, where armed violence, kidnappings and assaults on villages, schools and markets have become common. Farmers and traders now fear for their safety as they depend on these markets for their livelihoods.
As darkness fell on Saturday, residents searched for missing relatives and gathered the bodies of those who had been killed. On Sunday morning, the community began burying the dead while waiting for information about loved ones who remain unaccounted for.
Adapted from ICC.
