By Adelowo Oladipo, Minna/
An uneasy calm has settled over remote communities in Agwarra and Borgu Local Government Areas of Niger State, as fresh warnings of militant movements trigger fear, flight and fresh displacement.
Residents of Kwana, the last village in Agwarra, and Tungan Salama near Papiri in Borgu told our correspondent that anxiety has gripped their communities following reports that armed groups are again on the move. Villagers say security personnel who appeared after a recent attack have since vanished, leaving communities exposed.
“We have received threats and hints that they are coming again,” one resident said, requesting anonymity. “There is no visible security presence, and people are afraid.”
The fear is sharpened by memories of the late-December assault on Kasuwan Daji, a small settlement known for its Wednesday market, where dozens of lives were lost and homes and shops were destroyed. Since then, panic has spread across neighbouring villages, residents say, with families unsure where to run if violence resumes. With no nearby town large enough to offer refuge, many say their only option is to hide in the surrounding bush.
Community members are now appealing urgently to the state and federal authorities for protection. “Without security, there will be continued loss of lives and permanent displacement,” a villager said. “Until these groups are dislodged from their hideouts around the Kainji National Park axis, a well-equipped task force is needed to pursue and stop them.”
The mounting anxiety has begun to disrupt faith communities as well. Confirming the situation, the Director of Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Rev. Fr. Matthew Kabirat, said parishioners and priests were relocating for safety.
“As I speak with you, our people are leaving,” he said. “The security personnel who came after the incident are no longer here. There are no signs of help, and people fear being killed or kidnapped.”
Fr. Kabirat recounted that the attacks late last year involved heavily armed assailants moving through several villages across Niger and into neighbouring Kebbi State, leaving a trail of destruction, abductions and fear. He said religious sites were also targeted, with property vandalised and items taken during the raids.
Another resident, Abuka, said communities in Papiri, Kwana and Tungan Salama are living on edge.
“For days, this group moved freely without challenge,” he said. “Children who were only recently freed from captivity are traumatised again, hiding with their families whenever rumours spread, day and night.”
As fear deepens, residents say evacuations are accelerating, with families abandoning homes, farms and livelihoods in search of safety. For those who remain, the message is stark: without a sustained security presence, the exodus may continue, and the fragile calm may not last.
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