At least 30 villagers were killed and several others are missing after gunmen attacked Kasuwan-Daji village in northern Nigeria’s Niger state, setting fire to homes and the local market.

Residents and church officials say the death toll may exceed 40, with children among those abducted, though exact numbers remain unclear.

Locals reported that the attack lasted several hours and said security forces had not yet reached the area, leaving survivors too afraid to recover bodies.

President Bola Tinubu condemned the violence and ordered security agencies to pursue the attackers and rescue those kidnapped, the AP has reported.

Such attacks are frequent in the region, where armed gangs operate from forest hideouts and target remote communities with limited security presence.