BREAKING Over 40 Killed with Women and Children Kidnapped and Catholic Mission Desecrated

Tragic New Year Attacks Leave Dozens Dead and Catholic Mission Desecrated in Niger State, Nigeria, Africa.

KONTAGORA, Nigeria – A week of terror across the borderlands of Niger and Kebbi States has culminated in a horrific massacre in Kasuwan Daji, leaving at least 49 people dead and a Catholic mission in ruins.

The violence began on December 28, 2025, when dozens of armed bandits emerged from the Borgu Game Reserve. After killing seven people in neighboring Kebbi State, the militants turned their sights on the Catholic community of Sokonbora.

Desecration and Destruction

On the morning of January 2, 2026, the bandits stormed the Sokonbora Catholic Church compound. In a targeted act of desecration, the attackers destroyed a crucifix, the Stations of the Cross, and the parish’s musical instruments before looting the compound of cash and electronics.

The terror peaked on the evening of January 3 in the village of Kasuwan Daji. According to reports from the Diocese:

• Massacre: 42 men, both Christians and Muslims, were bound and slaughtered.

• Kidnappings: An unknown number of women and children were abducted.

• Arson: The village market and surrounding homes were razed, with smoke visible from 15 kilometers away.

A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding

Fr. Matthew Stephen Kabirat, Director of Social Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, highlighted the psychological toll on the most vulnerable. Children recently released from previous abductions have been re-traumatized, forced to sleep in the bush to evade the roaming gangs.

"Panic is widespread," Fr. Kabirat stated, noting that families are abandoning their homes in massive numbers. "There is not a single large town where people can run to for safety."

Urgent Call for Intervention

The Diocese is urgently calling on the Federal Government to deploy a well-equipped military task force to the Borgu Local Government Area. Church leaders emphasize that without a permanent security presence to flush out bandits from the game reserve, the region faces "massive and ongoing loss of life and permanent displacement."

Image Screenshot from Catholic Diocese of Kontagora