No fewer than 16 local vigilante members have been killed and 42 residents abducted following a string of coordinated attacks by bandits across communities in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The assaults, which took place between Sunday, November 9 and Thursday, November 13, 2025, have triggered mass displacement, forcing residents to abandon their homes in fear as several once-thriving villages now lie deserted.
According to one resident, who withheld his identity for safety reasons, the attackers first struck Dutsen Magaji on Sunday, abducting 22 villagers.
“When they came on Sunday, vigilantes pursued them and engaged them in a gun battle. Three vigilantes were killed in the process, and five others are currently receiving treatment in the hospital,” he told Daily Trust.
He added that the bandits returned before dawn on Thursday, November 13, launching another assault — this time on Magama village, arriving just as worshippers gathered for early morning prayers.
“They surrounded the mosque while people were praying and abducted more than 20 people. Some vigilantes followed them, not knowing the bandits had laid an ambush. The bandits opened fire and 13 vigilantes were killed, with several others injured,” he said.
The Press Secretary to the Chairman of Mashegu Local Government, Isah Ibrahim Bokuta, confirmed the killings in a statement. Bokuta described the fallen vigilantes as “heroes who sacrificed their lives in defence of their communities,” adding that the local government deeply appreciated their courage and selflessness.
However, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, told journalists that he had not yet verified the reports.
Residents said the latest wave of attacks has triggered widespread displacement, with many fleeing to Mashegu, Kawo-Mashegu, Manigi and other safer areas. Some villagers are reportedly seeking refuge with relatives in far-off communities. Among the worst-hit deserted settlements are Dutsen Magaji, Borin-Aiki, Gidan Ruwa and Magama.
The renewed violence comes amid the ongoing captivity of former Chairman of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Alhassan Bawa Niworo, who was abducted on Monday, September 29, 2025, along the Mokwa–New Bussa road in Borgu LGA. Despite reports that his family paid a N70 million ransom, he remains in captivity, while others kidnapped alongside him were released weeks ago.
Niger State remains one of the most severely affected areas in the North-Central region, with banditry escalating over the last five years. Communities across Mashegu, Rijau, Mariga, Munya, Shiroro and Rafi LGAs have been repeatedly targeted in attacks involving kidnappings, killings and enforced levies on farmers.
The broader insecurity — which stretches across Niger, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina and parts of the Federal Capital Territory — is driven by a complex mix of armed bandit groups, splinter herder militias and criminal networks involved in ransom kidnappings, cattle rustling and village raids.
Despite ongoing military operations and community-based vigilante mobilisation, residents say protection remains inadequate. The latest killings in Mashegu highlight not only the vulnerability of rural communities but also the increasingly sophisticated ambush tactics deployed by the assailants, raising fresh concerns about regional security preparedness as attacks continue unabated.