Niger mosque attacks: 30 worshippers killed, over 60 abducted

At least 30 people have been killed after terrorists attacked four mosques in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State during Juma’at prayers last Friday.

The attacks occurred simultaneously in Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana communities, where dozens of worshippers were abducted and taken into the forest.

Chairman of Borgu Local Government Area, Mohammed Nasir Abdullahi, confirmed the development on Monday, saying about 30 of those abducted had been killed by their captors.

He said the communities had recovered the bodies and buried the victims.

“The military has gone in there. The whole place is calm. We lost some people, and the burials were done. Some people ran away to safer grounds.

“From the records I have, those kidnapped were a little above 60. Those that were killed were close to 30,” the chairman said.

He added that some houses, including the residence of the District Head of Dekara, Abubakar Umar, were set ablaze during the attacks.

The chairman said the victims were abducted from the four communities while observing Juma’at prayers.

Following the attacks, dozens of residents reportedly fled to New Bussa and the Benin Republic after terrorists threatened to kill anyone who remained in the affected communities.

“Only a few people are in Dekara now. Many people have left,” a resident told Daily Trust.

The police said a joint security operation had been launched to track the attackers and facilitate the rescue of the remaining abducted worshippers.

Meanwhile, a resident of the affected community urged security agencies to mount pressure on the terrorists and adopt a similar strategy to the one reportedly used to rescue the Oriire abductees to secure the release of those still in captivity.

More than 40 students and teachers were recently rescued after spending 56 days in captivity following what the authorities described as a month-long intelligence-driven operation.

Jonah Danjuma, spokesman for the 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, said the operation focused on identifying the masterminds of the abduction and dismantling their network and hideouts within the Old Oyo National Park.

He said several arrests were made in Oyo State and other parts of the country, disrupting the group’s activities and putting sustained pressure on its members.

Residents told Daily Trust that seven of the 10 wards in Borgu LGA are currently affected by insecurity, with hundreds of people, mostly farmers, displaced and dozens killed.

The affected wards include Babanna, Kabe/Pissa, Konkoso, Shagunu, Dugga, Wawa and Malale.

Residents called on the Federal and Niger State governments to intensify security operations and provide assistance to displaced persons whose livelihoods had been destroyed by the attacks.

They said that between December 2025 and June 2026, more than a dozen villages in Anindita District and Babanna Area Development Council were attacked and destroyed, forcing residents to flee.

“Contrary to the claim that normalcy has returned, our people cannot go to farms in Anindita, Babanna and Gada-Oli axes. Schools are shut. Over 300,000 people are displaced. If normalcy exists, why are villages still empty and why is humanitarian aid yet to reach most IDPs?” one resident asked.

The communities called for military operations to clear terrorist enclaves within the Babanna Area Development Council, which they said were being used as staging grounds for attacks.

They also sought support for local vigilantes and humanitarian assistance for displaced farmers