Armed Men Issue Eviction Threat

A group of armed men suspected to be bandits has ordered residents of an indigenous community in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State to leave their homes, threatening to kill male residents who remain.

The threats were captured in a video obtained by SaharaReporters and published on Friday, October 23, 2026.

In the footage, a man speaking in Hausa accused members of the community of taking up arms against Fulani residents, whom he claimed had lived peacefully alongside them for decades.

The man alleged that members of the community had killed some Fulani residents under the pretext of fighting banditry.

Men Specifically Targeted in Threat

The speaker warned that the period of peaceful coexistence between the groups had ended, accusing the community’s residents of killing people and preventing Fulani residents from living on the land.

He insisted that the community must be abandoned immediately and threatened to deal with the men who refused to leave.

The man directed women, children and elderly residents to leave the area, while making clear that his threats were specifically aimed at the male population.

He also instructed residents to use either of two routes out of the community and seek refuge elsewhere.

Allegations Remain Unverified

The claims made by the armed man about attacks on Fulani residents were not independently verified in the report.

SaharaReporters did not identify the speaker or establish the exact community where the video was recorded. The report also did not provide an official response from security agencies regarding the threats.

The allegations therefore remain unverified, and the footage alone does not establish the circumstances of the alleged killings or identify those responsible.

Fears of Displacement and Further Violence

The threats have raised concerns about the safety of residents in Borgu, where rural communities have faced repeated attacks, killings, kidnappings and displacement linked to armed violence.

An order forcing residents to abandon their homes, combined with threats directed at men, could heighten tensions and increase the risk of further violence.

Authorities would need to investigate the video, assess the credibility of the threats and take appropriate measures to protect residents and establish the facts behind the accusations.