Attacks on four villages in Niger State have displaced residents, while authorities pursue the gunmen and Amnesty International calls for the captives’ safe rescue.

Authorities in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State have launched a joint security operation to track down gunmen who abducted worshippers from mosques in the Borgu area, amid concern for the captives and difficult conditions hampering access to affected communities.

Local reports covering the first three days after the attacks indicated that no releases had been announced and no official hostage count established. The attackers circulated a video claiming to hold around 500 people, but authorities had not confirmed that figure.

The uncertainty has left families without reliable information about their relatives, while residents have fled to neighbouring Benin and Nigeria’s Kwara State.

Mosque Raids During Friday Prayers

According to Daily Trust, the attacks targeted mosques in four villages: Dekara, Kabenya, Sabon Gida and Gidan Zana.

Local official Umar Abubakar told Platform Times that Dekara accounted for the largest number of victims, but that the number abducted from its central mosque remained unconfirmed.

The Niger State police spokesperson confirmed the attack, saying the number of abductees was still being verified and that no deaths had been reported.

Leadership quoted the state’s information commissioner as saying that around 200 people were inside the mosque when the attackers arrived, and that the village head and imam were among those abducted.

However, the number present at the mosque does not establish how many were taken. Authorities had not specified how many escaped or were led away by the gunmen.

Conflicting Figures, No Verified Total

Accounts published by local media offer different estimates. Daily Trust quoted a resident as saying that more than 60 people were abducted from Dekara’s central mosque. Separately, at least 100 people in Gbazin, a village in the Dekara area, remained missing as of the Sunday following the attacks.

The available information does not establish whether these figures overlap. Being reported missing also does not necessarily confirm that a person is being held by the attackers.

The newspaper reported that the gunmen released a video on Sunday evening claiming to hold approximately 500 men and women.

According to the reports cited, no official statement had verified that number or established the identities of everyone shown. The figure therefore remains an assertion by the attackers, not a confirmed total.

Platform Times also reported that, at the time of its account, families had received neither contact nor demands from the kidnappers.

Damaged Communications and Displacement

The search operation faces more than an information shortage. Platform Times reported that the attackers destroyed solar-powered telecommunications infrastructure, disrupting communication and coordination.

Police told The Whistler that difficult terrain and poor roads were restricting security personnel’s movement in the affected communities.

The state governor announced a joint operation to pursue the attackers. The government said operational details would not be disclosed to avoid compromising the mission.

Meanwhile, Daily Trust reported that more than 200 residents had fled to Benin, while others sought safety in Kwara State.

Calls for a Safe Rescue

Amnesty International urged Nigerian authorities to ensure the safe rescue of the abductees. It cited accounts from survivors of previous mass kidnappings describing torture, starvation, sexual violence and amputations.

Those testimonies do not establish that the same abuses have occurred against the Borgu captives, but they underline the urgency of protecting them.

According to the organisation, at least 1,100 people were abducted in Nigeria between January and April 2026, with the actual number potentially higher.

The Borgu attacks leave authorities facing two immediate responsibilities: locating and safely rescuing the captives, and providing reliable information to families waiting to learn what happened to their relatives.

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