Security Forces Step Up Search for Villagers Abducted in Niger State Attack
Security agencies have intensified efforts to rescue worshippers abducted by suspected bandits following a coordinated attack on mosques in Borgu and Agwara local government areas of Niger State, with police, military and other agencies deploying tactical teams, air assets and additional personnel to the affected communities.
According to police, the attacks took place in the communities of Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana, where armed attackers surrounded mosques shortly after worshippers had concluded Friday prayers and abducted an unspecified number of people, in addition to killing a district head. Security agencies, including the Police Mobile Force, tactical units, the military and the Department of State Services, mobilised to the affected communities to assess the situation and begin rescue operations.
The Niger State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, addressed the situation during an interactive session with journalists in Minna on Thursday, where he was represented by the command’s spokesperson, Superintendent Wasiu Abiodun. Abiodun said the rescue operation had commenced in compliance with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, who had responded to the situation by directing the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Victor Olaiya, to relocate to Niger State to coordinate rescue efforts. Disu also approved the deployment of additional tactical personnel and air support to reinforce the operation, according to the police spokesperson.
Officials said investigations had also commenced to identify those responsible for the killing of the district head, with clearance operations set to be intensified to rid the affected communities of criminal elements. Police said particular attention was being paid to activities around the Kainji Lake National Park and other difficult-to-access terrain believed to be used by criminal elements as hideouts. The spokesperson called for continued cooperation between security agencies, the state government and local communities, stressing that timely and credible information from residents remained critical to the success of both the rescue and clearance operations.
The Nigerian Army separately confirmed it had deployed troops to Dekara, a community located along the Nigeria-Benin Republic border and considered a difficult-to-reach area on the fringes of Kainji Lake National Park, following the abduction of several residents. According to an army operational report, troops had earlier been directed to Dekara to establish a blocking position ahead of a planned clearance operation targeting the forest, which is regarded as a mobility corridor used by armed groups operating within the park. The report said that while troops were moving toward the community on Friday, attackers launched an assault on the village and abducted several people before security forces arrived, with some residents fleeing into neighbouring Benin Republic. The army said it was yet to ascertain the exact number of people abducted or killed in the attack, adding that efforts remained ongoing to establish the whereabouts of those still missing.
President Bola Tinubu has since directed security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims, describing those responsible for the attack as enemies of peace who would not go unpunished. He extended condolences to the families of those killed and assured families of abducted victims that the federal government remained committed to securing their safe return, pledging that the nation would not rest until all those taken were brought back safely. Tinubu also directed the Service Chiefs to provide him with regular briefings on the progress of the rescue operation until every abducted victim is accounted for, and pledged federal support for the state covering relief, recovery and reinforced security.
At the state level, the Coordinator of the newly established Niger State Security Situation Room, who also serves as Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Justin Magaji, said the state government had provided all necessary logistics to support the rescue team’s operation. He said the situation room, which also includes the state Director of the Department of State Services and the Commissioner of Police, remained determined to secure the release of all victims, though he noted that not all operational tactics and assets would be made public for strategic reasons.
Borgu remains among the areas of Niger State facing heightened security challenges, including recurring attacks and abductions attributed to suspected bandits operating in the state’s forested and border regions. As of the time of reporting, the exact number of people still being held had not been officially disclosed, and rescue operations remained ongoing across the affected communities.
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