Nigeria: Many Worshippers Abducted From Niger Mosques During Juma'at Prayer

What the report says

Authorities and residents in Niger State, northwest Nigeria, said armed attackers abducted worshippers from multiple mosques during Friday Juma’at prayers in Borgu Local Government Area. The Daily Trust report, distributed by AllAfrica, said the incidents affected communities including Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana, with worshippers reportedly taken while prayers were under way. The newspaper said local accounts described coordinated attacks on several mosques, and that some victims were led toward nearby forest areas.

The report quoted residents as saying the number of missing people was still being clarified, with estimates varying widely across locations. One resident said more than 60 people were taken from the central mosque in Dekara, while another said about 100 people were missing in Gbezhin as of Sunday. The article also said a video later circulated in which the attackers claimed to be holding hundreds of people, including women and children, though that figure could not be independently verified in the text.

Niger State police confirmed the attack and said it happened around 2 p.m. on Friday, August 21, 2026. Police said no deaths were reported at the scene and that joint security teams had been deployed for assessment and rescue efforts. The state government condemned the assault and said it had ordered security agencies to intensify operations to recover the abducted worshippers and restore calm.

The reported abductions add to long-running insecurity in parts of Niger State and nearby border areas, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted civilians, displaced residents and disrupted travel and farming.