Terrorists believed to be members of the Sadiku-led Boko Haram faction have killed two mobile police officers and injured another in a deadly attack on a police camp in Papiri, Niger State. The assault, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, has heightened security concerns in the region and forced many residents to flee their homes. The attack took place in a rural village that was already scarred by a mass abduction of over 300 students and staff from St Mary’s Catholic School in November 2025.
According to sources including security officials and local authorities, the terrorists stormed the police camp around 4:30 am, catching many residents off guard. A village leader described the scene, saying, “It was around 4:30 am. Many were still sleeping, but the loud sounds of gunfire woke everyone up.” The attackers came in large numbers and quickly surrounded the camp, prompting a fierce response from the mobile police officers stationed there.
One surviving officer confirmed that the police engaged the terrorists in combat, resulting in the deaths of approximately five attackers. He added, “We engaged them and killed about five of them. Unfortunately, we lost two officers and one other sustained injuries to his arm.” Following the attack, additional police reinforcements have been deployed to the area to bolster security and prevent further incursions.
The violence has triggered widespread fear among residents, with many families abandoning Papiri and seeking refuge in nearby villages. Idris Alhaji, a resident of a neighboring community, reported that displaced people from Papiri have been sleeping in his village since the attack. The village leader also revealed that he had evacuated his own family from the area due to the escalating threat.
This latest incident has reignited anxieties in the region, particularly because Papiri was previously targeted in the November 2025 abduction of students and staff from St Mary’s Catholic School. The Sadiku-led faction has been linked to repeated attacks around the Kainji Lake National Park, which spans Niger and Kwara states. Before shifting to the Kainji axis, the group operated for years in Shiroro Local Government Area, where it carried out violent attacks, recruited locals, and abducted women and children, causing widespread displacement.
Security sources indicate the group is now replicating its past tactics in its new operational zone. It is currently holding more than 150 women and children abducted from Woro in Kwara State, as well as Kasuwan Daji and Konkoso in Niger State. The faction has also been accused of planting improvised explosive devices on rural roads, targeting travelers, traders, and residents moving between communities.
Recent explosive attacks have killed at least five locals and destroyed a major bridge connecting several communities to local and border markets in Nigeria and the Benin Republic. The Sadiku faction now operates in the same area as Ansaru terrorists and some Sahelian jihadist groups that have recently infiltrated the region. As security forces respond, the people of Papiri and surrounding communities remain on edge, fearing further violence and instability.
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