Bandits storm immigration posts in Niger, kidnap officers, confiscate weapons

Armed bandits have attacked a Nigerian Immigration Service post in Balia community, kidnapping an officer identified as Umar Yusuf and carrying a rifle during the raid.

According to residents, the attackers, who came on motorbikes, struck in broad daylight around 10am on Tuesday, overwhelming the number of personnel stationed at the facility located along Babanna Road near the Benin Republic border.

A source within the service, who did not want to be named, revealed that the assailants disarmed the officers during the incident.

The sources said two AK-47 rifles loaded with ammunition were recovered from the outpost during the attack.
Hide quoted text

Local residents describe the Babanna Road axis as increasingly dangerous, noting that the route has been the center of bandit and terrorist activities repeatedly over the years.

This latest attack adds to a series of violent incidents in the region. In November 2025, two soldiers were killed and several others—including civilians and security personnel—were injured when gunmen attacked the convoy of the lawmaker representing Agwara/Borgu Federal Constituency, Jafaru Mohammad Ali Damisa, along the same corridor.

Also read: CAF Cancels AFCON Final Results, Morocco Declared Winner

The legislator was reportedly on his way to Babanna around 11 am when his convoy was ambushed, resulting in casualties among his security personnel.

In a similar incident in July 2025, an Immigration Inspector, identified as Suleiman, was killed by suspected ISWAP militants at a service post in Lumma Sanke along the Babanna–Wawa Road.

The attackers were said to have stormed the facility, killed the officer, and burned his body along with his service weapon, underscoring the ongoing security challenges facing border communities in the region.