By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists have killed 36 people and destroyed over 50 houses in a three-hour rampage on two communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The attack, which targeted Tungan Makeri and Nkpaso villages in Konkoso Ward, has left the communities deserted as all women and children have fled for safety.
According to local sources, the death toll rose from 26 on Saturday to 36 by Sunday morning as more bodies were recovered from surrounding bushes. Several residents remain unaccounted for.
“As of this morning, we have recovered 36 bodies, some of them from the nearby bushes. Many people are still missing, and we don’t know whether they were taken away by the terrorists or not,” said Musa, a community source from Tungan Makeri.
The attackers, who operated freely for over three hours, slaughtered residents and set buildings ablaze without encountering any resistance. Tungan Makeri bore the brunt of the assault, with more than 50 houses either destroyed or burnt down.
“We have been burying our dead since yesterday. All the women and children have left. No security agent has visited the communities since the attack began,” Musa lamented.
As of Sunday afternoon, neither the state government nor the police had issued any statement regarding the massacre. Multiple attempts to reach the Chairman of Borgu Local Government Area, Mallam Nasiru Mohammed, proved unsuccessful.
The Borgu kingdom, encompassing Borgu and Agwara Local Government Areas, has witnessed escalating terrorist violence in recent months. The region has seen scores killed, many abducted, and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
Notable previous incidents include the abduction of over 300 students from Papiri Missionary School in Agwara Local Government last November. Unconfirmed reports suggest over ₦1 billion in ransom was paid for their release after one month in captivity.
In January, terrorists also razed a cattle market in Kasunwa Deji, killing seven people and stealing numerous cattle.
Concerned political and traditional leaders in the kingdom have urgently appealed to the Federal Government to deploy security agents and establish a military base in the area.
Speaking to journalists, the leaders described the situation as “not only worrisome but scary,” noting that the entire Borgu kingdom has been under siege for the past three months.
