Just In: Fresh Calamity as Bandits Attack, Set Fire on Church, Abduct Several Residents in Niger
- Terrorists have attacked Agwara Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, killing one person and leaving a trail of destruction
- The police command in Niger confirmed that suspected armed bandits set ablaze a police station and part of a church in Agwara community in the early hours of Sunday, February 1
- For years, members of criminal gangs - known locally as bandits - have carried out killings and kidnappings for ransom, mainly targeting innocent Nigerians
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters and insurgency in Nigeria and Africa.
Minna, Niger State - Terrorists have burnt down the divisional police station in Agwara town, headquarters of Agwara Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.
According to The Cable, the outlaws raided a church and kidnapped at least five people in the community.
Source: Facebook
As reported by Daily Trust, the attackers arrived around 4 am on Sunday, February 1, and engaged the police officers in a gun battle.
They eventually set the police station on fire, and reportedly moved to the UMC Church and some parts of the community, abducting no fewer than five people.
A resident of Agwara town, Hussaini Mohammed, disclosed on the telephone that part of the church was also set ablaze.
He stated that the attack had heightened fear in the town, forcing many residents to flee.
Niger police confirm latest attack
Meanwhile, Wasiu Abiodun, police public relations officer in Niger State, confirmed the attack. Abiodun, however, said no life was lost.
Vanguard quoted Abiodun as saying:
“On 1/2/26 at about 3.40am, armed bandits invaded Agwara community, attacked the Police station where they were engaged by the tactical team on ground, used suspected dynamite to set the station ablaze, having overpowered the team.
“The terrorists later moved to UMC church in the community, burnt part of the church, proceeded to other areas and abducted about five persons whose identity is yet to be ascertained. Monitoring continues, further development will be communicated, please.”
Legit.ng reports that Sunday’s raid is the latest in a wave of kidnappings targeting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
Gangs, known in Nigeria as “bandits”, frequently carry out mass kidnappings for ransom, and loot villages, mainly in the northern and central parts of Africa’s most populous country.
In November 2025, armed gangs seized more than 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in the country’s Niger State, with 50 escaping and the rest being released in two batches weeks later.
Roughly evenly split between a mostly Christian south and Muslim-majority north, Nigeria is home to myriad conflicts, which experts say kill both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction.
Source: Twitter
But United States President Donald Trump has latched onto the security situation in Nigeria, focusing on the killing of Christians and putting Abuja under diplomatic pressure.
In late December 2025, the US launched strikes on what it and the Nigerian government said were armed groups in northwestern Sokoto State.
Nigeria said it approved the strikes.
Kaduna police admit bandits abducted Christians
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) finally admitted that armed bandits kidnapped many Christians in simultaneous targeted attacks on several churches in Kaduna State.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the national spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), confirmed the incident in a statement posted on the NPF’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle and seen by Legit.ng.
The attack, which has attracted international attention, occurred in Kurmin Wali, a community in the Kajuru area, while church services were underway.
Source: Legit.ng
