Terrorists kill 4, raze schools, houses in Borno, Niger

Terrorists have killed one person and set ablaze a primary school and a secondary school in Kautikari village, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State. In another incident, terrorists killed three people and burnt several houses during an attack on Pissa community in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State in the early hours of […]

Terrorists have killed one person and set ablaze a primary school and a secondary school in Kautikari village, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.

In another incident, terrorists killed three people and burnt several houses during an attack on Pissa community in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State in the early hours of Saturday.

Both states have continued to witness repeated attacks by armed groups, leading to killings, abductions and destruction of property.

The latest attack in Borno came about a month after the abduction of more than 40 students of Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.

Local and security sources said the attackers invaded Kautikari at about 7pm on Saturday, shooting sporadically and setting parts of the community ablaze.

Confirming the attack, the Education Secretary of the local government council, Malam Kyari, said the gunmen targeted parts of the schools during the invasion.

“They killed one person and set ablaze one block containing five classrooms and an office at Kautikari Junior Secondary School,” he said.

A security source, who asked not to be named, said some parts of the school were burnt, but no casualty was recorded inside the school buildings.

“There was no casualty inside the schools, but residents fled into the bush for safety,” the source said.

Another resident said the community had been attacked months earlier, but no public or private property was destroyed at the time.

“I am surprised they set ablaze the primary and secondary schools. Such attacks are unusual here,” the resident said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, confirmed the incident, saying that classrooms were burnt and one person died.

He noted that the security personnel on the ground repelled the attack and prevented further destruction.

“They attacked Kautikari village, where they burnt two classrooms at Government Day Secondary School and killed one man during the invasion.

“The suspected insurgents faced strong resistance from joint security forces, averting further losses. As of now, the area is calm and intensive patrols are ongoing,” he added.

 

Victims of Niger attack recount experience

In Niger State, residents of the Pissa community in Borgu LGA said armed men invaded the area in the early hours of Saturday, killing three people and burning several houses before fleeing.

A resident, Mohammed D. Ahmed, told Daily Trust that  the terrorists, riding on about 200 motorcycles, arrived after nightfall and waited until daybreak on Saturday before setting houses ablaze.

According to him, only a few houses were left untouched.

Ahmed said that after attacking Pissa, the terrorists moved to the neighbouring village of Ilorin-Borgu, where they continued their operation until Sunday morning.

Yunusa Aliyu told Daily Trust that the terrorists did not succeed in kidnapping any residents.

He, however, confirmed that many houses were set ablaze.

Aliyu said one of those killed was a vigilante, Jamilu Suleiman, who confronted the terrorists despite their overwhelming number.

“They did not kidnap anyone. We got information that they were coming. So, we all fled and climbed mountains around our community. So, we watched them from the top of the mountains, setting our houses ablaze.

“One of the people who lost their lives was a vigilante. His name is Jamilu Suleiman. He made an effort to confront the terrorists, but he lost his life.

“The second person who lost his life was hit by a stray bullet where he was hiding in the nearby bush,” he said.

He said that although his house was not touched, houses belonging to two of his uncles and his brother were among those set ablaze.

He said several communities, including Pissa, Tugan-Aljana, Tungan-Makeri, Zekina, Sukumba, Sapeluna, Sukunji, Sokaluna, Tsohon-Gangale and Sabon-Gangale, among others, have been deserted.

The spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the attack on Pissa to Daily Trust.

He said three people lost their lives and several houses were set ablaze by the terrorists.

Abiodun said the terrorists were confronted by the military, but details of the engagement remained sketchy.

He said, “On 13/6/2026 at about 9am, a report received indicated that suspected bandits invaded Pissa village via Borgu LGA, three persons were reportedly killed during the attack, and some houses were set ablaze, but the military responded and engaged the terrorists, while further details are still sketchy”.

However, the state’s Commissioner for Homeland Security, Barrister Maurice Bello Magaji, said the attacks were a consequence of the ongoing military operations in the area.

“You know terrorists are on the run because of the ongoing military operations in the area. So, what they currently do is to attack anyone they see on their way. It is not as if they are carrying out a planned attack. We are winning the war against them,” he said.

Meanwhile, several lives have reportedly been lost in various communities across Borgu, Mariga and Kontagora LGAs of the state over the past eight days.

Sources told Daily Trust that several others, including women and children, have also been kidnapped within the same period.

The affected villages include Tugan Aljana, Tungan Makeri and Daidanai in Borgu LGA, where no fewer than 12 people were reportedly killed.

A resident of the area, Alhaji Rabiu Sadiq, told Daily Trust that bandits began their operation in Tungan Aljana, where they killed three people, set houses ablaze and rustled a large number of cattle before moving to Tungan Makeri, where they killed nine people and stole livestock.

He said they later moved to Daidanai village, where they killed some farmers and rustled more cattle.

In Mariga LGA, Mallam Rabiu Muhammad told our correspondent that the terrorists also operated around the Galma axis, killing three vigilantes popularly known as ‘Yan Sakai’.

 

Woman delivers in captivity, loses baby

A pregnant woman, Salamatu Abubakar, who was kidnapped by bandits alongside three other women from Maikadauri community in Kontagora LGA of Niger State, has reportedly given birth to a baby boy, who died a few hours later.

Daily Trust had reported how the nine-month-pregnant woman was kidnapped a few days ago, when bandits invaded the community, killing one person and injuring a vigilante.

A source, who spoke to Gaskiya News Hausa, an online vernacular news platform, disclosed that Salamatu Abubakar went into labour while in the kidnappers’ camp and delivered a baby boy.

He said the woman’s health condition had deteriorated over the past week due to severe bleeding and lack of access to proper medical care.

In another incident, at least seven vigilantes were killed on Sunday, June 14, when bandits attacked their camp in Matseri, Kotonkoro District of Mariga LGA, Niger State.

Sources told Daily Trust that  the attackers, in large numbers, emerged from the Sangeko axis of Zamfara State and launched a direct assault on the vigilantes.

One of the locals told our correspondent that the vigilantes killed a number of the attackers during a gun duel.

When contacted, police spokesperson in Niger State, SP Wasiu Abiodun, promised to verify the information and revert, but was yet to do so as of the time of filing the report.