No fewer than 30 persons have been confirmed dead, while many others were abducted, following a brutal attack by suspected bandits on a popular rural market in Niger State.

The incident occurred on Monday at a weekly market located in a remote part of the state, leaving traders, farmers and residents traumatised.

Eyewitnesses told the Sources that the attackers, who arrived in large numbers on motorcycles, invaded the market in the early hours, firing gunshots indiscriminately and causing panic.

According to residents, the bandits looted food items, cash and other valuables, before abducting several traders and villagers whose exact number could not be immediately ascertained.

A community leader, who requested anonymity, said that the victims included traders, women and youths who had come from neighbouring communities to transact business.

“We have so far recovered 30 bodies. Many people are still missing, and we fear they have been taken into the bush by the attackers,” he said.

He added that several market stalls were destroyed during the attack, while survivors fled into nearby bushes to escape being killed or abducted.

Security sources confirmed the attack and said that joint teams of security operatives had been deployed to the area to restore order and track the perpetrators.

A senior security officer told Sources that operations were ongoing to rescue the abducted persons and prevent further attacks in the area.

“Our operatives are on ground, working with local vigilante groups to pursue the bandits and secure the communities,” the source said.

Reacting to the incident, the Niger State Government condemned the attack, describing it as senseless and barbaric.

In a statement issued in Minna, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and assured residents that the government would intensify efforts to tackle insecurity in the state.

“The government will not relent in its resolve to flush out criminal elements threatening the peace and safety of our people,” the statement said.

The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents linked to banditry in Niger State, where markets, highways and rural communities have increasingly become targets.

Residents have called on both the Federal and State Governments to strengthen security presence and intelligence gathering to curb the activities of armed groups in the area.