Six reported killed in fresh Rafi attack as Police confirm four deaths in Niger
At least four people were killed and two others sustained serious injuries during an attack by suspected armed assailants in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State early Wednesday morning.
The Niger State Police Command reported that the attack targeted the communities of Godoro and Angwan-Bisala, located within the Katako District, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on September 23, 2026.
Police Public Relations Officer SP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that by noon the same day, the death count from the attack had risen to four, with two individuals receiving critical injuries. Law enforcement officials responded to the scene, transported the injured to a nearby hospital, and initiated an investigation into the incident.
This latest attack occurs against a backdrop of escalating tensions and retaliatory violence between the Fulani and Kamuku communities in the region.
In a separate account, Alhaji Garba Mohammed Bissalla, the Village Head of Tashan-Rimi, stated that the recent violence resulted in six fatalities. He indicated that the victims were attacked around 1 a.m. on Tuesday in Tashan-Rimi, an area near Godoro, linking the incident to the ongoing conflict between the two groups.
Bissalla expressed dismay over the inability of the Niger State Government, local authorities, and the emirate council to avert further violence. He alleged that while Kamuku residents have adhered to Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s calls for peaceful coexistence, Fulani attackers have persisted in threatening residents, committing homicides, and stealing livestock.
These accusations have not been independently verified, and no immediate response from the Fulani community was available.
Bissalla further claimed that the violence in the area should be understood within the context of a larger crisis, which he contended has resulted in over 165 deaths and impacted more than 100 families. He noted that one extended family reportedly lost 45 members in previous conflicts.
He also criticized the federal, state, and local governments for neglecting the affected communities, asserting that residents have been without basic social amenities for nearly two decades.
Bissalla called for tangible actions to prevent further attacks and to mitigate the conflict’s escalation.
As of now, the police are continuing their investigation into this latest incident.
