Six days after suspected terrorists raided communities in Niger State during Friday prayers, authorities say they are yet to hear from the attackers or determine the exact number of residents who were taken away.
The state Commissioner for Information, Obed Nuhu, made this known on Thursday while appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Nuhu explained that the attacks took place on August 21 in three separate locations within Borgu Local Government Area. He said preliminary information pointed to the involvement of members of Lakurawa and Boko Haram.
According to him, no ransom demand, message or other form of communication had been received from those responsible for the abductions.
The commissioner also cautioned against attaching credibility to figures circulating about the number of people missing. He said the state government was still working to establish the actual number of victims before making an official declaration.
The attacks began when armed men reportedly entered the Kpenya Mosque in Gidan-Zana, Kpenya village, while worshippers were observing Juma’at prayers.
The incident, which occurred at about 2pm, reportedly affected people of different ages, with women, children and elderly worshippers among those taken away.
A village head from Ka’ada, who had only recently regained his freedom after spending time in captivity, was reportedly among those seized again. The 90-year-old father of the Dekara District Head was also said to have been taken.
When the incident was first reported, the Niger State Police Command confirmed that an unknown number of worshippers had been abducted. The police said some residents managed to escape by fleeing into a nearby forest.
Authorities initially reported that no one had been killed during the mosque incident and said security personnel had been sent into the area to assess the situation and begin efforts to locate the victims.
Further accounts, however, suggested that the attacks were not confined to the mosque or a single community. Several settlements within the Dekara axis were reportedly affected.
Reports from the area identified Gbeji, also known as Gidan-Zana, Kpenya, Giyan Gbasu and Dekara as some of the communities hit by the violence. Residents were reportedly killed, wounded or carried away by the attackers.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Northern Senators Forum have both raised concerns over the attacks.
The Islamic body expressed particular alarm over the incident in Dekara, where armed men were reportedly said to have entered a mosque during Friday prayers and taken away more than 60 worshippers.
Amid growing concern over the situation, President Bola Tinubu directed security agencies to work together in an effort to find and free the victims.
The Presidency later disclosed that the violence across the affected communities had resulted in more than 40 deaths, while over 100 people were believed to have been abducted and moved into surrounding forests.
However, the Niger State Government has not adopted those figures as its official count, maintaining that verification is still underway.
Security Forces Step Up Search
Despite the absence of communication from the abductors, efforts to locate the victims and apprehend those behind the attacks have continued.
The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, reportedly assigned the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 7, Victor Olaiya, to take charge of the police aspect of the rescue mission.
The operation is being carried out alongside other security agencies, with the primary objective of finding the abducted residents and securing their safe return.
Governor Umaru Bago had earlier instructed the relevant security formations to intensify efforts to recover the victims and prevent further attacks in the affected communities.
The state government said personnel had been deployed to gather intelligence, identify the attackers and support the rescue mission. It declined to provide operational details, citing the sensitive nature of the ongoing exercise.
The Northern Senators Forum has also called for the victims to be released safely and without delay. The group urged authorities to strengthen security across Niger State and reassess the wider security strategy in the North-Central region.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs similarly appealed for swift action, particularly because the incident involved worshippers who were attacked while gathered for Friday prayers.
For relatives of those missing, the situation remains deeply uncertain. Nearly one week after the attacks, authorities have received no word from the kidnappers and are still working to establish how many people are actually being held.
Security forces meanwhile continue to search the affected areas for both the victims and those responsible for the attacks.
