Dozens Abducted As Gunmen Attack Mosque, Villages In Niger

Armed men have reportedly abducted dozens of worshippers after attacking a mosque and surrounding communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, with survivors alleging that members of the Lakurawa armed group carried out the assault.

The attackers stormed Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district at about 2 p.m. on Friday, after reportedly attacking Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages, according to the Niger State Police Command.

Police spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, said on Saturday that the Command was aware of the abductions but had not received reports of deaths.

He said a joint security detachment had been deployed to the area to assess the situation and commence rescue operations.

Abiodun said the police could not immediately confirm the number of people abducted.

Residents, however, told Reuters that more than 60 worshippers were taken away, although the figure could not be independently verified.

There were also separate reports of deaths during the attack, but the claims had not been independently confirmed.

A survivor, Jibril Ahmad, told AFP that the attackers arrived shortly after Friday prayers and accused members of the Lakurawa group of carrying out the assault.

He alleged that the attackers, numbering in the hundreds and armed with guns, knives and machetes, attacked worshippers and killed some people.

Ahmad said another armed group, known as Mahmuda, later intervened and engaged the attackers in a clash, allowing some of the abducted victims to escape.

Federal lawmaker Jafaru Mohammed said several neighbouring villages were also attacked.

He said the Mahmuda group had opposed the ideology of Lakurawa and intervened after learning of the attack.

The violence reportedly continued into Saturday, with residents alleging that the attackers returned to the area to abduct more people.

A resident, Abdullahi Ahmad, also alleged that the attackers planted landmines on the road leading out of Dekara.

He claimed that a man and members of his family were killed when their vehicle struck one of the explosives while they were attempting to flee the area.

The attack occurred in an area of Niger State close to Nigeria’s western border with Benin, where armed groups have increasingly operated.

The incident adds to growing security concerns across Nigeria’s north-central and north-western regions, where mass abductions have become a persistent tactic of armed groups seeking ransom payments.

Security agencies have yet to establish the exact number of people abducted, while rescue and assessment operations are ongoing.