Witnesses describe systematic attacks on three communities as assailants slit throats, burn homes, and abduct dozens before military jets arrive too late
The death toll from Saturday's coordinated attacks on three villages in Niger State has risen to at least 46, with witnesses describing scenes of horror as motorcycle-riding gunmen moved methodically from community to community, killing residents and setting homes ablaze.
The raids targeted villages in the Borgu Local Government Area, near the border with Kwara and Katsina states, according to a humanitarian source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity. The bloodiest assault occurred in Konkoso village, where at least 38 people were shot dead or had their throats slit. Most homes in the village were destroyed by fire, and residents continue to recover bodies from the wreckage.
A Methodical Assault
The attackers first struck Tungar Makeri village before dawn, then moved to Konkoso, a resident told AFP. Witnesses described the assailants operating with impunity for hours, facing no resistance from security forces until military jets were heard flying overhead—long after the gunmen had completed their mission.
"They were operating freely without the presence of any security," Abdullahi Adamu, a Konkoso resident, told The Associated Press.
Another villager, Jeremiah Timothy, told Reuters the attack began around 6 a.m. local time. He confirmed hearing aircraft overhead, but by then the damage was done.
Official Confirmation
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the attack on Tunga-Makeri village, reporting six dead, multiple houses burned, and an undetermined number of residents abducted. He stated that the assailants then moved to Konkoso, though he could not provide immediate details on casualties there.
Humanitarian sources on the ground, however, paint a far grimmer picture. Beyond the 38 confirmed dead in Konkoso, additional bodies continue to be recovered from the surrounding area.
A Region Under Siege
The border region between Niger and Kwara states is home to the vast Kainji Forest, a known haven for armed groups including Boko Haram insurgents and criminal gangs specializing in mass abductions for ransom. The forest's rugged terrain and limited security presence have made it an ideal staging ground for attacks on vulnerable communities.
The violence has taken on an increasingly complex character. In October 2025, the al-Qaeda affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for its first attack on Nigerian soil near Woro, in neighboring Kwara State—a troubling sign of expanding jihadist influence beyond the country's traditional conflict zones.
Desperate Pleas Unheeded
Religious and community leaders from the Borgu area pleaded with President Bola Tinubu just last week to establish a military base in the region to halt the recurring attacks, according to Nigerian media reports. Saturday's massacre suggests those pleas went unanswered.
For the residents of Tungar Makeri and Konkoso, the nightmare is not over. Survivors are still counting their dead, searching for missing loved ones, and wondering when—or if—the government will ever come to protect them.
As one villager put it simply: they came, they killed, and they left. And next time, they will come again.
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