Village head, 90-year-old man among worshippers abducted in Niger

The Village Head of Ka’aba and the 90-year-old father of the District Head of Dekara were among Muslim worshippers abducted during Friday prayers in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident happened at a mosque in Kpenya village, Gidan-Zana, under Dekara District, while worshippers were observing their Friday prayers.

Sources said the attackers targeted elderly people after accusing them of asking the government to establish military bases in the area to tackle terrorist activities.

The elders’ call for military intervention reportedly angered the terrorists, leading to the abduction of several worshippers. Most of those taken were said to be aged 50 and above.

The attack was reportedly carried out by suspected members of three terrorist groups: Mamuda, Lakurawa and Boko Haram, which have allegedly been active in the area for about two years.

A large number of Lakurawa fighters were said to have led the attack. They reportedly surrounded the worshippers towards the end of the prayers before taking them in groups into the Kainji Game Reserve forest, where the terrorists are believed to operate.

The Niger State Police Command confirmed the attack but said it could not immediately establish the exact number of people abducted.

Police spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said, “At about 2 pm, suspected terrorists invaded Gidan-Zana, Kpenya village via Dekara District, Borgu, and Kpenya mosque and abducted an unspecified number of persons during Friday prayer.”

He said the command had begun efforts to identify the victims and determine their exact number.

According to him, security operatives were also working to track down the attackers and rescue those abducted.