Armed Men Kidnap Dozens in Attacks on Nigerian Villages

Dozens of people have reportedly been abducted after armed men attacked a mosque and several villages in Nigeria's central Niger State, according to survivors, residents and police.

The attackers first targeted the villages of Gidan-Zana and Kpenya before storming Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district of Borgu Local Government Area at about 2pm (13:00 GMT) on Friday, police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said.

Police confirmed they were aware of the kidnappings but said they had received no reports of deaths linked to the initial assault. Abiodun said a joint security team had been sent to the area to assess the situation and begin rescue efforts.

Authorities have not yet established how many people were taken.

Residents said that more than 60 worshippers were abducted from the mosque, although the figure could not be independently verified.

Meanwhile, residents said there had also been fatalities during the violence. Those reports had not been independently confirmed.

Jibril Ahmad, who survived the attack in Dekara, said members of the Lakurawa armed group were responsible. He said that hundreds of gunmen and fighters carrying knives and machetes attacked shortly after Friday prayers, claiming that some people were killed.

Ahmad said another armed faction, known as Mahmuda, later confronted the attackers. The fighting reportedly created an opportunity for some of those abducted to escape.

Federal lawmaker Jafaru Mohammed said that several other villages in the surrounding area had also come under attack. He said members of Mahmuda opposed Lakurawa's ideology and intervened after learning of the assault.

The violence occurred near Nigeria's western border with Benin, an area that has experienced increasing activity by armed groups and fighters operating across the region. Nigeria's long-running armed insurgency, however, remains largely concentrated in the northeast.

The violence in Niger State reportedly continued into Saturday.

Resident Abdullahi Ahmad said the attackers returned to the area and attempted to abduct additional people, allegedly intending to use them as bargaining chips ahead of an expected deployment of security forces.

He also said the attackers had planted landmines along roads leading out of Dekara.

According to Ahmad, a man and members of his family were killed while attempting to flee after their vehicle struck one of the mines. He said residents were now living in fear as security concerns continued to mount.

Large-scale kidnappings have become a persistent problem in Nigeria, particularly across the northwest and central regions. Armed groups have increasingly used abductions for ransom and other forms of leverage, creating a lucrative criminal economy involving both ideological militants and criminal gangs.

The latest attack highlights the continuing security challenges facing communities in central Nigeria, where residents remain vulnerable to armed raids, kidnappings and deadly violence.