Gunmen storm mosques in Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka communities in Borgu LGA, Niger State, abducting an unspecified number of worshippers, with youths and household heads among those taken.
Minna, Niger State — August 22, 2026
Gunmen have invaded several communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting an unspecified number of worshippers shortly after Friday prayers, in one of the more brazen attacks recorded in the area in recent months.
The attacks struck Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida, and Masaka communities, according to residents and the federal lawmaker representing the area, Hon. Jafar Muhammad Shetiman Borgu.
Confirming the attacks to the BBC, the lawmaker said the exact number of people abducted had yet to be established, though several worshippers were attacked with machetes during the raids, with some managing to escape despite sustaining injuries.
According to Shetiman Borgu, the attackers entered Dekara first, surrounding a mosque immediately after Friday prayers and marching worshippers into the surrounding forest.
The gunmen then moved on to neighbouring communities, abducting additional worshippers as they went. The lawmaker said youths and heads of households were specifically among those taken.
Shetiman Borgu said forests in the Borgu axis have increasingly become hideouts for suspected members of two armed groups, Lakurawa and Mamudawa, and disclosed that a disagreement had reportedly broken out between the two factions following Friday's attacks.
Some members were said to have opposed the invasion of mosques and abduction of worshippers, triggering clashes between the groups.
Authorities suspect the abductors may have been targeting youths for recruitment, though it remains unclear which specific group carried out the raids.
Lakurawa fighters have been reported operating in parts of Niger State in recent months, where they have allegedly gathered residents for preaching sessions warning against practices they consider un-Islamic, including theft, alcohol consumption, and adultery, while calling on communities to observe Sharia principles.
The attack adds to a rapidly worsening security situation in Borgu LGA, which borders Kebbi and Kwara states as well as the Republic of Benin.
Just last week, more than 20 people were reportedly killed in separate attacks in the area, and Borgu was also the site of a major November 2025 mass abduction in Papiri, when gunmen seized more than 200 schoolchildren who were released roughly a month later.
Despite ongoing assurances from security agencies that operations against armed groups in Niger State continue, Friday's attack underscores the persistent and evolving security challenges confronting communities across the state, particularly along its porous forest and border axes.
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