At least sixteen members of local vigilante groups have been killed, and forty-two residents kidnapped, in a series of coordinated attacks by armed bandits in various communities within Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State. The incidents, which took place between Sunday, 9 November, and Thursday, 13 November 2025, have forced several villages to become largely deserted as residents flee in search of safety.
A community member who spoke on condition of anonymity told Headlinenews that the first attack occurred in Dutsen Magaji village on Sunday, during which twenty-two people were abducted. He explained that local vigilantes attempted to confront the assailants in a gunfight, resulting in the deaths of three vigilantes and the hospitalization of five others. The source added that the bandits later surrounded a mosque while prayers were ongoing and abducted over twenty more individuals, luring vigilantes into an ambush in which thirteen vigilantes were killed and several others injured.
The Press Secretary to the Mashegu Local Government chairman, Isah Ibrahim Bokuta, confirmed the fatalities in a statement, describing the slain vigilantes as heroes who gave their lives defending their communities and highlighting the local government’s appreciation for their courage and dedication.
When contacted, the Niger State Police Command spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, indicated that the police were verifying the attacks before providing further information.
According to reports gathered by Headlinenews, many communities in the area have been abandoned since Monday, with residents relocating to nearby settlements such as Mashegu town, Kawo-Mashegu, Manigi, and other surrounding areas, while others are seeking refuge with relatives in more distant communities. Villages left empty include Dutsen Magaji, Borin-Aiki, Gidan Ruwa, and Magama.
This latest wave of violence reflects a troubling pattern of banditry in Niger State and neighbouring Kwara State. On 9 July, at least thirteen people, including a police officer and three vigilantes, were reportedly killed in an attack on Mongoro community in Mariga LGA. In subsequent attacks, six farmers were killed in Rijau LGA, and many others were injured.
On 29 September, several passengers were abducted along the Zugurma–Ibbi road in Mashegu LGA. The incident occurred near the Mokwa–New Bussa road, where bandits fired at police patrol vehicles stationed close to the National Park in Ibbi. During the assault, at least three commercial buses were attacked, and passengers, including traders returning from markets, were kidnapped. Among those abducted were Alhassan Bawa Niworo, a former chairman of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board, and Ahmed Mohammed, a commissioner of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission.
Weeks after a reported ransom payment of seventy million naira by the family of the former SUBEB chairman, the abductors have yet to release him, highlighting the ongoing risk posed by bandit groups in the region.
