New Year begins with bloodshed: 50 killed in fresh attacks in Nigeria
The New Year has not begun peacefully in Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Kontagora. Just as the final days of 2025 were marked by violence and fear, early January 2026 has brought fresh bloodshed, including the massacre of 42 men in the village of Kasuwan Daji, not far from Papiri, where more than 200 schoolchildren were abducted in November.
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its deep concern and strongly condemns the recent wave of violent attacks in the north of Niger State and the south of Kebbi State, Nigeria.
According to a report sent to ACN by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, and signed by Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, heavily armed bandits killed 50 people during a series of assaults between 28 December 2025 and 3 January 2026, culminating in a massacre in the village of Kasuwan Daji.
According to information received by ACN, on 28 December 2025, heavily armed bandits – about 30 motorcycles carrying two men each – “left their hideout in the Borgu Game Reserve” and moved through several villages. They then proceeded to Kaiwa, where they “killed five people and set fire to houses and grain stores”, before moving on to Gebe, where “they killed two more people”.
Bishop Yohanna reports that on the evening of 1 January 2026 the bandits “passed through Shafaci again and burned documents at the police station before spending the night in the bush”. On the morning of 2 January 2026, at around 10:00 a.m., the attackers “entered the Catholic Church compound in Sokonbora and destroyed a crucifix, pictures of the Stations of the Cross and musical instruments”. They also “stole two motorcycles, mobile phones and cash”, before occupying “a nearby settlement” of the Kambari ethnic group, where they remained until the following day, “eating the fowls and goats of the people”.
Towards the evening of 3 January 2026, the bandits “left the Kambari compound near Sokonbora and entered the village of Kasuwan Daji, about eight kilometres away”. Kasuwan Daji is described as “a small village with a large Wednesday market”. According to the account, the attackers “set fire to the market and surrounding houses, slaughtering 42 men after tying their arms behind their backs”. The victims were all men, and “both Christians and Muslims”. The attackers also “kidnapped an unknown number of women and children”. The fire was “so intense that the smoke could be seen 15 kilometres away, in Papiri”.
The report goes on to state that the group of bandits had been “roaming freely across the northern part of Borgu Local Government Area in Niger State and the southern part of Shanga Local Government Area in Kebbi State, without being challenged by security forces”. As a result, fear has spread widely among the population, leading to mass displacement, with families fleeing their homes and livelihoods.
Particularly alarming is the situation of the Papiri schoolchildren, who had “recently been released from captivity” and have been “further traumatised”, as they are forced “to hide in the bush with their families whenever reports indicate that the bandits are nearby, both day and night”.
These attacks have given rise to numerous rumours among the population. Unsubstantiated reports have stated that some of the children who were kidnapped were survivors of the mass kidnapping in Papiri. Further rumors claim that Christians constituted the majority of victims. ACN sources indicate that both of these claims are currently unconfirmed.
In the diocesan statement, the bishop calls for immediate government intervention, noting that “pending the elimination of the bandits and their hideouts in the Kainji Game Reserve, there is an urgent need for a large and well-equipped military task force capable of and empowered to pursue, engage and eliminate the bandits whenever they come out of the Reserve again”. Without such a response, he warns, “there will be massive and ongoing loss of life and permanent displacement of large numbers of people.”
In a separate condolence message also received by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna expressed his “profound sorrow” for the 42 innocent lives lost – “Christians and Muslims alike” – and extended the diocese’s heartfelt prayers for the eternal rest of the departed, the healing to the injured, and consolation to all who mourn. He strongly condemned this “senseless, barbaric and inhuman act of violence”, which constitutes a “grave violation of the sanctity of human life and human dignity”. The bishop also appealed to all local communities – Kambari, Bussawa (Borgawa), Fulani and Hausa – “not to see one another as enemies, but to remain united in rejecting violence in all its forms and in standing together to confront our common enemy, the bandits”.
Aid to the Church in Need joins the urgent appeal made by the local Church, calling on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate and effective measures to protect the civilian population, end the impunity of armed groups and dismantle their bases in forest and reserve areas in the region. The charity reiterates its commitment to supporting affected communities both spiritually and materially and also urges the international community not to remain indifferent to the suffering of thousands of innocent people in this part of Nigeria.
