Nigeria: Many Bodies Recovered After Niger Mosque Attacks, LG Chairman Says, As Tinubu Orders Rescue Operation

What the report says

At least 30 people were reported killed and more than 60 abducted after attacks on Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, according to the council chairman, Mohammed Abdullahi, as reported by Premium Times and distributed by AllAfrica. The attacks were said to have taken place simultaneously in the villages of Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana, where armed assailants reportedly entered mosques, ordered worshippers out and forced them toward a forest area.

Abdullahi said bodies had been recovered and buried by residents, while military forces had moved into the area and restored some calm. He also said several homes were burned, including the residence of a district head in Dekara. The report said some residents fled to safer locations, including New Bussa and, in some accounts, across the border into Benin Republic, amid threats from the attackers.

Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, condemned the abductions and ordered security agencies, including the armed forces, police and intelligence services, to begin an immediate coordinated rescue effort. He also asked for regular updates on the operation and pledged federal support for recovery, relief and added security in Niger State. The report noted that the attackers had not been clearly identified, though the wider area has recently been linked in local reporting to activity by multiple armed groups. The incident highlights continuing insecurity in border communities in northwestern Nigeria.