President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s top security leadership to launch an aggressive manhunt for those responsible for the killing of residents in Niger State, describing the attack as a grave assault on the nation’s peace and collective resolve.
The President said the perpetrators, as well as anyone found aiding or shielding them, would face decisive consequences, stressing that the state would not tolerate acts of terror against innocent citizens.
Tinubu made this known on Sunday while reacting to the deadly assault on Kasuwan Daji market in the Demo community of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, where gunmen killed at least 30 people and abducted several others.
According to the President, he has instructed the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services to ensure the attackers are tracked down and brought to justice without delay.
He also ordered the immediate rescue of all abducted victims.
“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people,” Tinubu said, adding that security agencies must ensure the assailants are “brought swiftly to justice.”
He further warned that those who aid, abet, or enable criminal groups would also be prosecuted.
Moreover, the President directed an intensification of security operations around vulnerable communities, particularly those located near forests, which have increasingly been exploited as hideouts by armed groups.
He said denying criminals safe havens remained critical to restoring lasting peace.
Tinubu also called on Nigerians to remain united in the face of insecurity, noting that collective resolve was essential to confronting violent threats.
“These times demand our humanity. We must stand together as one people and confront these monsters in unison,” he said.
The President expressed condolences to families of those killed in the Niger attack and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reclaiming peace for affected communities, praying for the repose of the victims’ souls.