Armed attackers abducted Muslim worshippers after Friday prayers in communities in Niger State, north-central Nigeria, in the latest attack to raise concerns over worsening insecurity around the Lake Kainji area. Niger State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said suspected terrorists attacked Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages in the Dekara district on Friday afternoon. In Kpenya, the attackers reportedly entered a mosque during prayers and abducted an unspecified number of worshippers, while others escaped into nearby forests.
Police said there were no immediate reports of deaths, adding that security personnel had been deployed to determine the number of people missing and begin efforts to locate and rescue them. Residents, however, said the attackers moved through several communities, including Dekara, Gidan-Zana, Masaka and Sabon Gida, targeting worshippers and other residents. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks affecting communities around the Borgu-Kainji area, where vast forests and difficult terrain have provided cover for armed groups and criminal gangs.
On August 12, police reported recovering nine bodies along the Wawa-Lumma road in Borgu. The victims were believed to have been killed while travelling through the area, although investigations into the circumstances were continuing. Security forces have stepped up operations across the region, focusing on forest areas where armed groups are believed to operate. Authorities are also under pressure to improve protection for rural communities and major roads used by residents and travelers. The latest abductions have heightened fears among communities surrounding Lake Kainji, where residents face the growing threat of kidnapping, attacks and displacement.
