Terrorists Raid Niger State: 16 Vigilantes Killed, 42 Residents Abducted in Coordinated Attacks
Niger State, Nigeria – November 17, 2025
A wave of coordinated Fulani terrorist attacks in Mashegu Local Government Area, Niger State, has left at least 16 local vigilante members dead and 42 residents abducted, according to community sources.
The assaults, which took place between Sunday, November 9, and Thursday, November 13, 2025, have forced many villagers to flee their homes, leaving once-thriving settlements deserted.
Details of the Attacks
The first attack happened on Sunday, November 9, when gunmen allegedly stormed Dutsen Magaji village and abducted 22 people.
That Sunday vigilante forces engaged the terrorists, and three vigilantes were killed, while five others were reportedly hospitalized.
The Second attack occurred in the early hours of Thursday, November 13, bandits returned and targeted Magama village during morning prayers.
The assailants surrounded a mosque, abducted more than 20 people, and ambushed pursuing vigilantes in a deadly gunfight that killed 13 more vigilantes, with several others wounded.
Local sources report that in the aftermath of the attacks, whole communities have been abandoned.
Villagers have reportedly fled to Mashegu, Kawo-Mashegu, Manigi, and other safer areas; some are sheltering with relatives in more distant towns.
Among the hard-hit villages are Dutsen Magaji, Borin-Aiki, Gidan Ruwa, and Magama.
Isah Ibrahim Bokuta, the Press Secretary to the Mashegu LGA Chairman, confirmed the vigilante fatalities in a public statement. He called the slain members “heroes who sacrificed their lives in defence of their communities” and expressed the local government’s gratitude for their bravery.
When contacted, SP Wasiu Abiodun, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, said he had not yet verified the reports of the attacks.
The renewed violence comes amid a worsening banditry crisis in Nigeria’s North-Central region, where kidnappings, killings, and raids have grown in frequency.
Niger State, in particular, has been heavily impacted, with communities in Mashegu, Rijau, Mariga, Munya, Shiroro, and Rafi LGAs repeatedly targeted.
The crisis is driven by Fulani terrorist groups, operating in rural areas, often leveraging kidnappings-for-ransom, and ambush tactics.
In a related development, the kidnappers of Alhaji Alhassan Bawa Niworo, former Chairman of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), reportedly remain at large despite a ₦70 million ransom payment, according to residents.
Niworo was originally abducted on September 29, 2025, along the Mokwa-New Bussa road in Borgu LGA.
The attack raises fresh concerns about the vulnerability of rural communities in Niger State, especially given the reliance on local vigilante groups to provide security.
Although these community defense structures are often first responders, their capacity to resist well-armed terrorists ambushes appears limited.
As displacement spreads and attacks intensify, pressure is mounting on Nigerian authorities, both at the state and federal levels, to bolster security measures, protect civilians, and respond effectively to the growing threat.
