Murtala Dantoro, a prominent member of the Borgu Royal Family in Niger State, has condemned what he described as a “systematic failure” by both federal and state governments following a series of devastating bandit attacks in the region.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News, Dantoro attributed the recent massacre at Kasuwan Daji market to a complete absence of security presence in vulnerable areas. The January 3 attack saw armed bandits emerge from the idle Kainji Lake National Park to set the market ablaze, killing 30 villagers and abducting dozens more. Dantoro noted that the vast, 13,000-square-kilometer terrain of Borgu has become a sanctuary for criminals due to the government’s failure to monitor and utilize the national park.
Dantoro noted that Insecurity will always be observed where a place becomes isolated, pointing out that the lack of a timely response to previous incidents has emboldened attackers. He specifically referenced the harrowing November 2025 abduction of over 300 students and teachers from St. Mary’s Private Catholic School in Papiri, noting that despite such high-profile tragedies, the security architecture in the area remains porous and reactive.
Dantoro further explained that the region is suffering from “banditry migration,” where criminals relocate to areas with the weakest security defenses. He criticized the government for failing to protect “soft targets” like the Kasuwan Daji market on market days, arguing that the attackers now operate with impunity because they know no rescue teams will arrive in time to save innocent citizens. The royal family member called for a proactive security overhaul to prevent the total collapse of order in the North Central border communities.
