MINNA, Nigeria: In the latest attack reported from the conflict-hit region, gunmen raided a village in northern Nigeria's Niger state and killed at least 30 villagers, with several others reported missing on the evening of January 3.

Gunmen stormed the Kasuwan-Daji village in the Borgu local government area and fired on residents. They also razed the local market and several houses, state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement.

Some residents said at least 37 people were killed, and the number could be higher because several people were still missing as of January 4. Locals also said security forces had not yet reached the area, which contradicts police claims that officers had been sent to search for those abducted.

Rev. Fr. Stephen Kabirat, a spokesperson for the Catholic Church in the Kontagora Diocese where the attack took place, told local media that more than 40 people were killed and several others, including children, were taken away.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and said he had ordered security agencies to track down the gunmen and rescue the hostages. In a statement, he said the attackers would face severe punishment and that anyone who helped them would also be held responsible.

A resident said the gunmen had been seen around nearby communities for about a week before the attack, but spoke anonymously for safety reasons. Survivors are now too afraid to return to the village to collect the bodies. The resident said the attack lasted about three hours and that without security presence, people did not feel safe going back.

Such attacks are common in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, where armed gangs often target remote communities with little security or government presence.

The attack on Kasuwan-Daji village happened near Papiri, where more than 300 schoolchildren and their teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in November 2025. Police said the attackers came from the National Park Forest in the Kabe district, adding that large, unguarded forest areas are often used as hiding places by armed groups.