Borgu attacks: Residents appeal for urgent military intervention

Residents of Borgu community in Niger State have appealed to the federal government to establish a military base in the area following a recent surge in bandit attacks.

In a statement issued to the media on behalf of the people, Murtala Haliru Dantoro called for urgent military deployment and sustained security measures to protect the emirate from what he described as relentless armed attacks.

“Over 42 lives have been lost, with recent killings recorded in Wawa (Gbere) and surrounding communities in Borgu Local Government Area,” Dantoro said.

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He warned that the situation continues to deteriorate, leaving residents trapped in fear, economic paralysis, and social dislocation.

“Communities are under siege. Farmers can no longer access their farmlands, businesses have collapsed, and transporters now refuse to ply routes linking Babanna and other border towns,” he added.

Dantoro, the son of the late emir of Borgu, Senator Haliru Dantoro (Kitoro Ill), noted that Babanna, which shares a border with the Republic of Benin, has been effectively cut off economically, as traders and truck drivers avoid the area due to escalating insecurity.

He lamented that development programmes and public investments have failed to reach grassroots communities most affected by violence and displacement.

“With insecurity unchecked, how will Borgu develop? The land is blessed with agriculture, mineral resources, and tourism potential, yet insecurity has rendered these advantages meaningless,” he stressed.

Dantoro further warned that continued bloodshed threatens the survival of the Borgu Kingdom and erodes public confidence in governance and security institutions.

“When an entire kingdom bleeds without protection, history will judge the silence and inaction of those entrusted with safeguarding lives and property,” he said.