Gunmen Kill Nine Travellers in Niger

The nine people were killed in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, with police and military personnel recovering the bodies.

The police have recovered the bodies of nine people suspected to have been killed by bandits along the Wawa-Lumma road in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the bodies were recovered by police and military personnel deployed to the area following information about the incident on Tuesday.

The police state command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, told NAN in Minna on Wednesday that the victims were suspected to have been killed while travelling on the road.

“Police and military tactical teams were mobilised to the scene; the bodies recovered, while clearance operation was intensified to secure the area,” Mr Abiodun said.

He said security personnel had intensified clearance operations along the route to prevent further attacks and restore safety to road users.

The latest killings add to the growing security concerns in Niger State, where bandit attacks, kidnappings and cattle rustling have continued to affect communities and travellers.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that 308 people abducted in separate attacks in Niger and Kwara states were rescued in a coordinated security operation.

Of the 308 victims, 145 were abducted in Niger, while 163 were taken from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara.

The victims were rescued from the Kainji Lake National Park forest in New Bussa, Niger State.

The operation involved the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services and the police.

The recovery of the nine bodies also comes weeks after former Niger State Universal Basic Education Board chairman, Alhassan Niworo, recounted to PT how he spent 225 days in captivity after being abducted while travelling from New Bussa to Minna in September 2025.

Mr Niworo said he was initially held in the Kainji National Park before being moved through bush routes to a forest in Zamfara State, where he said he was chained, tortured and threatened with death over a N150 million ransom demand. He was released on May 10, 2026, after his family and others raised N80 million.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported in May that security forces recovered 67 cattle abandoned by suspected bandits after a gun battle along the Mangoro-Idu axis of Munya Local Government Area.

The recurring attacks have heightened concerns over security along roads linking communities in Niger State, particularly areas around Borgu, Shiroro, Munya and the Kainji Lake National Park.

Security agencies have continued to conduct clearance and rescue operations in the affected areas, while authorities have repeatedly urged residents to provide information on the movement of suspected criminals.