By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Terrorists have again struck Niger State, killing one person, abducting five others and setting ablaze a church building and a police station in Agwarra Local Government Area, worsening the security situation in the region.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 2 February, 2026 with Gazzelle’News gathered that the assailants first set fire to the United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA) in Agwarra at about 6 a.m. before moving to Sokonba village, which shares a border with Kabe, a community attacked recently.
The attackers reportedly looted food items and other valuables before killing an elderly woman in Kabe town and abducting five residents.
Reacting, Murtala Dantoro, son of the late Emir, said the repeated assaults had turned once-peaceful communities into zones of fear and uncertainty. According to him, the violence has disrupted livelihoods and forced residents to flee.
“Innocent lives are being lost, farmers are abandoning their farmlands, economic activities have collapsed, and families are forced to flee their homes in search of safety,” he said.
Dantoro warned that the attacks were no longer isolated incidents, stressing that the absence of a permanent and well-equipped military formation in Agwarra had exposed residents to danger.
“These attacks are persistent and escalating. The absence of a permanent military presence has emboldened criminals, who now operate with little or no resistance,” he added, calling on the state and federal governments to act urgently “before these terrorists chase us out of our homeland.”
Similarly, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, urged the Federal Government and security agencies to establish a permanent military formation in Agwarra.
“This is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” Yohanna said. “A visible, stationed military presence will deter criminal activities, restore confidence among residents, enable displaced persons to return home, and allow farmers to safely return to their farms.”
Expressing concern over the deteriorating security situation, he added, “Enough is enough. The people of Agwarra deserve peace, protection, and the right to live without fear. Security is the foundation of development, and without it, no meaningful progress can be achieved.”
The cleric further warned that law and order had broken down in parts of the state. “These terrorists now move freely without challenge. Presently, the rule of law no longer functions in Borgu and its axis,” he said, adding that the assailants were gradually turning the once-peaceful Borgu Emirate into what he described as a “terrorist emirate.”
Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command confirmed the incident. Its spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, said police operatives engaged the attackers, who used explosives during the assault.
“On Sunday 1 February,2026, at about 3.40 a.m., bandits invaded Agwarra community and attacked the police station, where they were engaged by the tactical team on the ground,” Abiodun said. “The attackers overpowered the team and used suspected dynamite to set the station ablaze.”
He added that the terrorists later moved to the church, saying, “They proceeded to the UMC church in the community, burnt part of the church, moved to other areas and abducted about five persons whose identities are yet to be ascertained. Monitoring continues.”
