Terrorist Attacks Escalate in Agwarra: Churches, Police Stations Burned; Residents Call for Immediate Security Intervention
Suspected terrorists attacked Agwarra local government area in the early hours of Sunday, causing extensive damage by burning the United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA) and the local police station.
Reliable sources report that the terrorists set fire to the church around 6am before heading to nearby Sokonba village near Kabe, an area that has recently experienced similar assaults.
Investigations reveal that the terrorists looted foodstuffs and other valuables, resulting in the death of an elderly woman in Kabe.
Among those abducted by the terrorists is Malam Ahmed Burade, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and headmaster of a primary school in Agwarra, along with five family members. An anonymous source indicated that the terrorists entered their residence around 2am and took them captive.
Although Ahmed managed to escape during a gunfight between the terrorists and vigilante groups, his wife and four children were taken to an unknown destination.
Murtala Dantoro, son of the late Emir, lamented that the repeated assaults have transformed the formerly peaceful communities into zones of fear and instability. He highlighted that innocent lives are being lost, farmers are abandoning their lands, economic activities have collapsed, and families are fleeing to safety.
He emphasized that these attacks are persistent and escalating, compounded by the lack of a permanent and well-equipped military presence in Agwarra, leaving residents vulnerable.
The security vacuum has emboldened criminal elements operating with little resistance, further worsening the humanitarian and economic crises in the region. Agwarra’s strategic importance to Niger State underscores the urgency of government intervention to prevent regional destabilization.
The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Most Rev Bulus Yohanna, urgently appealed to the Federal Government, Nigerian Army, and security agencies to establish a permanent military formation in Agwarra.
He affirmed that such measures are essential for deterring criminal activities, restoring confidence among residents, enabling displaced persons to return home, and allowing farmers to safely resume cultivation.
“Enough is enough. The people of Agwarra deserve peace, protection, and the right to live without fear. Security is the foundation of development; without it, progress is impossible,” Bishop Yohanna stated.
He criticized the current lack of decisive action, noting that terrorists operate freely around North Borgu without challenge, turning the once-peaceful region into a ‘terrorist emirate’ through killings, displacement, and coercion of locals.
Police Public Relations Officer SP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the attacks, stating, “At about 3:40 a.m., armed bandits invaded Agwarra, attacking the police station. They overpowered security forces, set the station ablaze using suspected dynamite, and later moved to the UMCA church, burning parts of the structure, before abducting approximately five persons, whose identities are still unknown.”
He assured that police efforts to monitor and respond to the situation are ongoing, with further updates expected.
