Tinubu Orders Full-Scale Hunt for Terrorists Behind Kasuwan Daji Massacre

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the “barbaric” attack on Kasuwan Daji village in Niger State, vowing that the terrorists responsible for killing 30 people and abducting several others will be hunted down and brought to justice.

“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people. They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions,” Tinubu said in a statement on his official X handle on Sunday.

The Nigerian leader has directed the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the DSS to hunt down the perpetrators and ensure they are brought to justice swiftly.

“No matter who they are or what their intent is, they must be hunted down,” he added.

The President also ordered security agencies to urgently rescue the abducted victims and intensify operations around vulnerable communities, especially near forests.

“These times demand our humanity. We must stand together as one people and confront these monsters in unison,” Tinubu said.

He added: “I have also directed that all abducted victims be urgently rescued and that security operations around vulnerable communities, especially near forests, be intensified.

“These times demand our humanity. We must stand together as one people and confront these monsters in unison. United, we can and must defeat them and deny them any sanctuary. We must reclaim peace for these attacked communities.”

Persecondnews reports that gunmen raided a village in northern Nigeria’s Niger state, killing at least 30 villagers and abducting others, in what marks the latest deadly attack in the conflict-hit region.

“Over 30 victims lost their lives during the attack; some persons were also kidnapped,” Wasiu Abiodun, Niger police spokesman, said in a statement on Sunday.

Abiodun added that the gunmen stormed Kasuwan ⁠Daji market in Demo village at around 4:30pm [15:30 GMT] on Saturday, ​burning stalls and looting food items.

Such attacks are all too common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where dozens of rogue gangs – locally known as “bandits” – often target remote communities with limited security and government presence.

The attackers arrived from the National Park Forest along Kabe district, according to the police, pointing to a usual trend where expansive forest reserves act as hideouts for armed gangs.