They Have Withdrawn Security Personnel from Our Villages – Fear Grip Niger Residents as They Decry Vulnerability Amid Terrorists’ Attacks
MINNA, Niger State
In the wake of devastating terrorist attacks that claimed over 40 lives in the Borgu and Agwara Local Government Areas, residents of affected communities are living in abject fear, accusing authorities of withdrawing security personnel and leaving them exposed to further violence. The assaults, which occurred on January 3, targeted the Kasuwan Daji market in Demo village and surrounding areas, where gunmen on motorcycles unleashed hours of terror, killing villagers, abducting women and children, looting shops, and setting homes and stalls ablaze. Displaced families have fled to nearby bushes, with many expressing dread over impending threats issued by the attackers, who vowed to continue their rampage.
Local residents have voiced strong allegations that security forces, initially deployed in response to earlier incursions, were later withdrawn, allowing the terrorists—suspected to be fleeing U.S.-backed airstrikes in neighboring Sokoto and Zamfara states—to operate unchecked for over a week. Abraham Peter, a survivor from Kasuwa Daji, lamented the absence of protection, stating that bandits emerged from the forest to attack “at free will” without any intervention. This perceived pullback has exacerbated vulnerabilities in remote, forested border communities, where weak defenses have long been a concern amid ongoing banditry and terrorism in northwest Nigeria.
The sense of abandonment has deepened trauma among the populace, with reports of entire villages emptying out as people seek refuge elsewhere. “We are left to fend for ourselves,” one anonymous resident told reporters, highlighting how the lack of sustained security has turned daily life into a nightmare of uncertainty. Fears are compounded by the attackers’ brazen tactics, including abductions from a local Catholic school, reminiscent of past mass kidnappings in the region, leaving families shattered and communities on edge about potential reprisals.
In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the attacks and ordered a nationwide security dragnet, directing defense and police chiefs to intensify manhunts, rescue operations, and bolster protections around vulnerable areas. State officials, including the Niger State Commissioner for Information, have urged calm while assuring collaboration with federal agencies to restore peace. Despite these pledges, residents remain skeptical, calling for immediate and visible reinforcements to prevent further bloodshed in this beleaguered region.
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