The attack, which occurred around 8:00 PM local time, has sent shockwaves through the region, highlighting the persistent insecurity plaguing Nigeria’s North Central belt.

Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and terror as over 20 gunmen, suspected to be members of a bandit syndicate operating from nearby forest enclaves, arrived on motorcycles and in rickety vans. 

“They came out of nowhere, firing shots into the air and screaming for everyone to lie down,” recounted Aisha Mohammed, a local trader whose neighbor was among the abducted. 

“It was supposed to be a night of joy with fireworks for Independence Day, but it turned into a nightmare. We heard screams and pleas, but no one dared move.”

Among the victims is Barrister Elias Yusuf, a 52-year-old renowned lawyer known for his advocacy against land grabbing and extrajudicial killings in Niger State. 

Yusuf, who had recently represented several displaced farming communities in court battles against herder-farmer conflicts, was dragged from his family home along with his teenage daughter and two aides. 

Sources close to the family revealed that the lawyer had received anonymous threats in the weeks leading up to the attack, though he dismissed them as “idle warnings from those who fear justice.”

The assailants, clad in military camouflage and armed with AK-47 rifles and locally made pistols, ransacked several homes, looting food supplies, cash, and mobile phones before herding their captives into the dense underbrush bordering the community. 

Local vigilante leader, Malam Ibrahim Sule, estimated the total number of abductions at 15, including five minors. 

“We tried to mobilize but they were too many and too fast. By the time reinforcements arrived from the nearest police post, they had vanished into the night,” Sule told reporters at the scene, his voice heavy with frustration.

Niger State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Fatima Bello, confirmed the incident in a terse statement released early Monday morning. 

“A distress call was received around 8:15 PM on October 1, 2025, reporting an invasion by unknown gunmen in Gbaja village. Patrol teams were immediately deployed, and a joint operation involving the police, military, and local hunters is underway to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators,” Bello said. 

She urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, while assuring the public that no stone would be left unturned in the pursuit of justice.

This attack comes amid a surge in banditry and kidnappings across Niger State, where over 200 people have been abducted in the first nine months of 2025 alone, according to data from local security watchdogs. 

Authorities have called for calm, but with ransom demands already circulating via smuggled messages—pegged at N50 million for the group—the clock is ticking.