The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has condemned the deadly attack on Kasuwan Daji market in Niger State, where terrorists killed at least 30 villagers and abducted scores of women and children.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Idris described the killings and abductions in Kasuwan Daji and nearby Kaima Village as tragic, noting that the victims were ordinary Nigerians drawn from different religious backgrounds.

“The tragic events at Kasuwan Daji and Kaima Village have left a deep scar on all of us. Those killed and abducted were traders, farmers, parents and schoolchildren from both Muslim and Christian backgrounds,” the minister said.

He stressed that the attackers should not be associated with any religion, describing them as enemies of humanity who kill indiscriminately.

“The terrorists responsible for these attacks are not warriors for any faith; they are faithless enemies of humanity who maim and kill without distinction,” Idris added.

The minister warned against allowing such attacks to fuel religious or communal divisions, emphasising that violence does not discriminate.

“When a market in Kasuwan Daji is attacked, the bullets do not choose victims based on religion. By standing together as one people united against these violent criminals, we deny them the power to divide us,” he said.

Idris reassured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to restoring security across the country, pledging that authorities would intensify efforts to eliminate criminal elements.

“The Federal Government’s commitment to every Nigerian, in Niger State and beyond, is unwavering. We will stop at nothing to secure every life, livelihood and community, and we will not relent until every forest-based criminal is completely eradicated,” he said.

According to reports, armed bandits on Saturday attacked Kasuwan Daji market in the Demo community of Borgu Local Government Area, killing at least 30 people, including women, abducting many others and setting the market ablaze.

The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed that suspected bandits operating from the National Park forest along Kabe District invaded the market, looted shops, carted away food items and burned down the facility.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed the military, police and the Department of State Services to track down and apprehend the perpetrators of the attack. He also ordered security agencies to urgently rescue all abducted victims, warning that those responsible “must face the full consequences of their criminal actions.”