A series of coordinated attacks by armed groups in Nigeria's north-central Niger state has resulted in the mass abduction of worshippers from a mosque, police reported on Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday within the remote Borgu Local Government Area, where assailants targeted a string of villages before storming a Juma’at mosque in Kpenya village.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the attacks but did not provide specific figures on the number of victims. He noted that while no lives were lost during the Friday violence, the military has been deployed to the area to conduct a search for the missing. Local residents and officials have provided varying estimates, with some suggesting between 60 and 80 people were taken by the gunmen.
Abdullahi Mohammed Nasir, the chairman of the Borgu area council, stated that at least 60 individuals were kidnapped. He added that an unspecified number of people sustained gunshot injuries while attempting to flee the attackers. "People were abducted while praying at a Juma’at mosque on Friday," Nasir said. "That was when the bad people came and surrounded the mosque and took them away."
The impact of the abduction has hit local families hard. Zubairu Umar Talba, a youth leader in the Dekara area of Borgu, reported that his 85-year-old father was among those seized. "Nobody can tell you the exact number of people abducted because, so far, about 80 of our people have been abducted and many have fled the area," Talba said.
Armed groups frequently operate across Nigeria, often engaging in kidnappings for ransom and occasional clashes with rival factions. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the Friday attacks in Niger state, and authorities continue to search for survivors.
