Deadly market attack hits Niger State
Gunmen kill at least 30 people and abduct others in Demo village raid
Gunmen attacked a crowded market in Niger State, killing at least 30 people and abducting several others, police said. Witnesses said the assailants arrived on motorcycles at Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village during peak trading hours, firing indiscriminately, burning stalls and looting food supplies. Residents said the raid was part of a series of assaults that began earlier in nearby Agwarra and Borgu.
Dozens of people were wounded, some critically, and were taken to hospitals; authorities warned the death toll could rise as some victims remain in serious condition. Security forces sealed off the market and surrounding streets while bomb-disposal and forensic teams searched the scene and collected evidence. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but officials noted similarities with past attacks by militant and armed criminal groups active in the region.
The incident follows a large-scale abduction in the same state when more than 300 pupils and staff from a Catholic school were seized and later released after nearly a month in captivity. Local and national officials condemned the market attack, pledged to pursue those responsible and announced reinforcements to prevent further violence. Community leaders described devastated stalls and scattered goods amid bloodstained debris, and warned that repeated attacks on civilian hubs are deepening fear and economic hardship for communities that depend on markets for their livelihoods.
Humanitarian organizations cautioned that ongoing insecurity is worsening humanitarian needs and disrupting trade and food supply chains. Investigators are working to identify the perpetrators, account for the missing, and assist survivors, while authorities said security operations would be intensified to restore order. The assault underscores the persistent challenge of protecting civilians in parts of northern and central Nigeria, where markets, places of worship and transport hubs have frequently been targeted in waves of violence.
