Terrorists invaded Agwara town in Niger State early Sunday, overpowering police officers, setting the divisional station ablaze with dynamite, and burning part of the United Missionary Church of Africa while abducting five residents.
The attackers arrived around 3:40 a.m., parking their motorcycles outside the town before trekking in on foot, according to eyewitness accounts.
They first targeted the police station, engaging officers in a fierce gun battle.
The terrorists quickly subdued the tactical team on duty and hurled suspected explosives to ignite the building, reducing it to charred ruins.
From there, the assailants advanced deeper into the community.
They stormed the United Missionary Church of Africa, known locally as UMCA, and set sections of it on fire, sending flames and smoke billowing into the night sky.
Amid the chaos, they seized at least five people, including a nursing mother and her four children in one report, though police have not yet confirmed the victims’ identities.
Fortunately, no one died in the assault, but the violence sparked widespread fear.
Residents scrambled to safety as the attack unfolded.
Mallam Hussaini Mohammed, a local, described the scene in a phone interview: “Part of the church burned, and people fled the town out of fear.”
Many abandoned their homes, seeking refuge in nearby areas, while others hid in the surrounding bush.
The raid lasted several hours, with the terrorists retreating into a forest reserve before dawn.
Niger State Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the details in a statement.
Security forces now monitor the situation closely, he said, and teams pursue the perpetrators to restore order.
“The tactical team engaged them, but the attackers used dynamite to set the station ablaze after overpowering the officers,” Abiodun explained.
He added that operatives track the abductees for a swift rescue.
This assault echoes a pattern of violence in Niger State’s northwest region.
Just months earlier, in November 2025, terrorists abducted over 200 schoolchildren from a nearby area, heightening tensions.
Meanwhile, Christian leaders voiced outrage.
Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora and Niger State chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, called for federal intervention.
“We raise alarm over these renewed attacks,” he urged, demanding stronger protection for vulnerable communities.
Public outcry erupted on social media, where Nigerians condemned government inaction under President Bola Tinubu.
One user lamented, “Like when will this country ever have a system that prioritizes safeguarding its citizens? Lives waste every day.”
Another blamed political failures: “The monsters APC made.”
As investigations continue, residents hope for reinforcements to prevent further raids, but anxiety lingers in Agwara’s streets.
