Niger Orders Rescue Operation After Borgu Worshippers Abduction

Niger State Government has ordered security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue worshippers abducted during Friday prayers in Borgu Local Government Area.

The directive follows the attack on Kpenya and Gidan-Zana communities in Dekara District, where suspected terrorists stormed a mosque while worshippers were observing Juma’at prayers. NaijaTrend had earlier reported the Borgu mosque abduction here.

Premium Times reported that the instruction was contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Obed Nana. The government said initial security reports showed that an unspecified number of worshippers were taken, while efforts were still ongoing to establish the exact figure.

Governor Mohammed Bago directed relevant authorities to work with security agencies to secure the victims’ release and restore calm in the affected communities. The state said a joint security operation had been deployed to assess the situation, track the attackers and support the rescue effort.

The government said it would not release operational details that could endanger the operation. It urged residents to avoid spreading unverified casualty figures and to provide credible information to security agencies.

A Daily Trust report on the same Borgu attacks said worshippers were abducted from mosques in Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana during Juma’at prayers. The report said Niger police confirmed the attack and said joint security operatives had been deployed for assessment and rescue operations.

Premium Times also reported that Amnesty International called on Nigerian authorities to urgently rescue the abducted worshippers and protect communities in the Borgu-Kainji corridor, where repeated attacks have hit villages, travellers and places of worship.

Sources: Premium Times, Daily Trust