Jun 27, 2026

Terrorists Torch Niger School After ₦10m Ransom

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in news

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Minna, Niger State — In a brazen act of betrayal that has shocked residents and reignited fears over Nigeria’s spiraling insecurity, armed terrorists set a primary school ablaze in Niger State’s Borgu Local Government Area — just days after extorting ₦10 million in so-called “protection tax” from the vulnerable community.

The attack targeted Central Primary School in Dekara community.

According to reports, gunmen emerged from the dense Kainji Lake National Park on Wednesday and torched the facility despite the community’s desperate payment aimed at buying peace.

Residents had raised and handed over the hefty sum following explicit threats of violence. Assurances were given that compliance would spare them further attacks. Instead, the school — a cornerstone of hope and learning in the rural area — went up in flames.

Niger State Police Command confirmed the incident, noting that while the school block was destroyed, no casualties or abductions occurred during this specific raid.

Yet the psychological toll runs deep. Parents, teachers, and children now face the grim reality that even paying extortionists offers no real safety.

This incident underscores a troubling pattern: armed groups operating from forest hideouts like Kainji are increasingly imposing levies on communities across north-central Nigeria, only to strike again when it suits them.

The tactic not only funds their operations but also deepens control and fear among already struggling populations.

Niger State has witnessed multiple security challenges in recent times, including school abductions and deadly raids.

The vulnerability of educational institutions is particularly alarming, as attacks disrupt learning, displace families, and erode public trust in government’s ability to protect the most basic rights of citizens.

Broader insecurity in the region — fueled by banditry, terrorism, and criminal elements exploiting vast ungoverned spaces — continues despite repeated security operations.

Communities often feel caught between paying criminals and risking retaliation, with little effective state protection.

Local observers and security experts warn that such “protection” payments, while born of desperation, ultimately empower non-state actors and perpetuate a cycle of violence that hampers development and education in affected areas.

As news of the Dekara school burning spreads, residents are calling for more robust, intelligence-driven responses from security agencies to flush out criminals from their forest bases and restore normalcy.

The destruction of a primary school — a symbol of the future for young Nigerians — adds urgency to long-standing demands for sustained peace and protection.

This latest outrage comes at a time when Nigerians across various states are grappling with the human cost of insecurity: lost lives, disrupted livelihoods, and stolen childhoods. For the people of Dekara, the smoke rising from their school serves as a painful reminder that safety cannot be purchased—it must be secured.

Authorities have yet to provide details on arrests or specific countermeasures in response to this attack. Parallel Facts will continue monitoring the situation as communities await justice and lasting peace.