By Ayodele Oni
Coming few hours after gunmen invaded a mosque in Niger state on Friday, suspected bandits in military-style uniforms stormed four villages in the State’s remote Borgu Local Government Area moments after Friday prayers, leaving more than 40 people dead and over 100 abducted in what residents are calling the deadliest attack in the area this year.
The rampage tore through Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida, and Masaka — communities tucked along the border with Kebbi, Kwara, and the Republic of Benin.
Witnesses told the BBC that the attackers rode into Dekara right after worshippers left the mosque.
“They gather people in the open, picked out men, women and children, and marched them into the forest,” a resident said. From there, the gunmen fanned out to neighbouring villages, shooting, burning, and abducting.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the toll: “More than 40 people were killed. Over 100 were abducted. We suspect these are bandits, but the pattern is getting worse.”
Local lawmaker Jafar Muhammad Shetiman also confirmed the attacks, warning that the scale and audacity point to something—darker.
Officials say Borgu has become a corridor for armed groups — bandit gangs, jihadists, and cross-border fighters — who exploit vast forests and weak security presence.
Shetiman raised a chilling alarm: “There are fears that some of these gunmen are now trying to recruit young people in the communities they attack.
In recent months, residents say jihadist fighters have entered villages and imposed religious restrictions. The area’s proximity to Benin makes it a safe haven for groups fleeing military pressure in the North West.
Earlier this month, 145 people were rescued from kidnappers in Konkoso, Kasuwan-Daji, Tungan-Makeri and Shafachi. Authorities said they were part of 308 people rescued nationwide, including over 160 from neighbouring Kwara. Last week alone, more than 20 people were killed.
And in November 2025, gunmen abducted over 200 pupils from a school in Papiri. They were freed about a month later after negotiations.
Despite repeated military and police operations, large swaths of Niger State remain inaccessible. Armed groups operate from forested hideouts, striking isolated communities and vanishing before reinforcements arrive.
The latest massacre underscores the collapsing security architecture in North Central Nigeria.
From kidnapping for ransom, to looting, to alleged ideological recruitment, the Borgu attacks show how criminal gangs and jihadist elements are merging into one deadly force.
Governor Umar Bago has yet to make a public statement on the latest killings. Residents say they are living in fear, with many now fleeing to bigger towns.
“The forests have become their barracks. Our villages have become their hunting ground,” a community leader in Dekara said.
As burial preparations begin and families wait for news of the abducted, one question echoes across Borgu: Who will stop the next attack?
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
