By Emmanuel Kwada
In a brazen daylight attack that has sent shockwaves through Niger State, no fewer than six soldiers were killed on Tuesday when over 50 heavily armed bandits ambushed the convoy of Hon. Jafaru Mohammed Ali, the All Progressives Congress (APC) member representing Agwara/Borgu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
The soldiers, who had been drafted to bolster security for the lawmaker during a routine tour of his constituency, bore the brunt of the assault.
They were leading the convoy when it came under intense gunfire at Kuble community along the Babanna road, just a few meters from the entrance to Kainji National Park—a vast wilderness that has become a notorious haven for terrorists and bandits over the past two years.
Eyewitness accounts and sources close to the incident described a chaotic scene as the gunmen, suspected to be linked to Islamic terrorist groups, unleashed a barrage of sophisticated weapons.
“The soldiers didn’t stand a chance; they were right at the front,” one local source told The Sun on condition of anonymity. Hon. Mohammed Ali and his civilian aides escaped unharmed, but the attack underscored the deteriorating security in the region.
Reinforcements from the military arrived swiftly, evacuating the lawmaker and his entourage to the nearby town of Babanna. In a rapid response, Niger State Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago deployed a helicopter to the area, airlifting the group to Minna, the state capital, for safety and debriefing.
“Security surveillance and intelligence operations are now intensifying along the Kuble–Babanna–Wawa axis to hunt down the perpetrators and secure the national park sector,” a security source revealed.
The ambush highlights the escalating threats in Borgu Local Government Area, which hosts several federal agencies and institutions. Residents have reported a surge in killings, abductions for ransom, and outright occupation of parts of Kainji National Park by armed groups.
For nearly two years, Boko Haram elements and bandits have reportedly controlled swathes of the park, engaging in illegal mining and timber felling to fund their operations.
The latest incident echoes the emergence of the dreaded Lakurawa sect earlier this year. On July 15, approximately 200 members of the group roared into Kemenji village in the Borgu sector of the park on about 68 motorcycles, with two to three riders per bike. Hoisting their flag, they declared their intent to “protect” their members from harassment, according to locals who spoke to The Sun at the time.
“We didn’t know where they came from,” one resident recalled. “Their first stop was the Olli River, where they commandeered local boat drivers to ferry them across to Awuru community.” Since then, the Lakurawa have joined Boko Haram and other bandits in entrenching their presence, turning the once-pristine national park into a lawless frontier.
As of press time, neither the Niger State Government nor the police command has issued an official statement on the attack, leaving communities on edge and calling for urgent federal intervention. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the fragile security landscape in Nigeria’s North-West, where armed groups continue to challenge state authority with impunity.
