Two Weeks of Silence: Families of 600 Abducted Muslim Worshippers in Niger Demand Govt Action

Two Weeks of Silence: Families of 600 Abducted Muslim Worshippers in Niger Demand Govt Action

Desperate families of over 600 Muslim worshippers abducted during Friday prayers in Niger State say they have received no communication from captors since the August 22 raid that left dozens dead and hundreds missing. President Tinubu has ordered a manhunt, but rescue efforts are hampered by collapsed bridges and difficult terrain.

Two weeks after gunmen raided the northwestern Nigerian village of Dekera, killing dozens and kidnapping hundreds of Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers, residents and family members say they have heard nothing from the kidnappers and seen little action from the government. The attack, which targeted worshippers gathered at mosques across four communities, has left families in agonizing uncertainty as they await any word on the fate of their loved ones.

Mass kidnappings for ransom are relatively common across much of northern Nigeria, but the coordinated August 22 attack on communities in north-central Niger State was one of the biggest in recent years, underscoring the extent of insecurity as the country heads towards an election next year. The assailants, dressed in military-style clothing, simultaneously targeted mosques during Friday prayers across four villages—Dekara, Gidan-Zana, Sabon Gida, and Masaka—marching worshippers into nearby forests toward the Kainji Lake area.

“We haven’t heard anything from the kidnappers since the abduction,” Isa Zaki, a Dekara resident with 10 members of his extended family among those seized, told Reuters by telephone. Zaki said years of insecurity had already resulted in local schools and markets closing, but residents were increasingly desperate after the August attack, which he said had killed dozens and resulted in much of Dekara being burned. “People have fled, soldiers have taken over the town, houses have been burnt, there is nowhere to live, and it is raining. It’s been sadness over sadness since the abduction,” he said.

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Residents say about 600 people, mostly women, children and older people, were abducted in the raid across the affected communities. At least 40 residents were also killed, they said. However, authorities have not commented on the number of hostages or deaths, creating a vacuum of information that has left families in agonizing uncertainty. Niger State Commissioner for Information Obed Nana acknowledged that the government was still verifying the number of those abducted and urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified figures that could heighten anxiety or compromise ongoing security efforts. The Borgu Local Government Area chairman dismissed media reports of 600 abductees, claiming that at least 60 people were kidnapped, while some residents put the figure at about 80. The conflicting estimates have made it difficult to establish an accurate toll. State officials said around 200 people were inside one of the mosques when the attack occurred, with the village head and the chief imam reportedly among those abducted.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to rescue the hostages, vowing that “those who carried out this cowardly attack on defenceless Nigerians are enemies of peace and enemies of humanity, who will not go scot-free.” “We have no update yet. When we have, we will share accordingly,” Wasiu Abiodun, Niger State police spokesperson, told Reuters.

Habibu Salihu, a civil servant, said his sister gave birth a week before she, her husband and three children, including the newborn, were kidnapped. Salihu said seven other family members were killed and he saw his sister breastfeeding her child in a video of hostages released by the kidnappers soon after the attack, but has had no news since then. “We have no information on what is going on. No one is telling us anything and we have no idea what action the government is taking to rescue the hostages,” he said. Two days after the coordinated raids, a video surfaced on Facebook and WhatsApp showing hundreds of seated captives guarded by armed men in a dense forest. Crying children can be heard in the background of the footage. A gunman speaking in Hausa directly addressed families, stating, “These are all your people. We are showing you this video so that you can identify your family members, your fathers, mothers, children and relatives.” Local residents reviewed the footage and confirmed the identities of several neighbors and family members. Ibrahim Abubakar stated, “The people in the video are from Dekara. I’ve identified 13 people that I know.” A local youth leader who recognized an elderly community member noted that families felt a mixture of relief and anxiety upon spotting their loved ones.

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Security forces have launched rescue operations, but their efforts have been significantly hindered by challenging terrain and infrastructure damage. Police sources confirmed that a bridge connecting the town centre to the affected communities had collapsed, and the area’s rugged landscape and poor road conditions are complicating the search for the hostages. The attackers reportedly destroyed a solar-powered telecommunications network in the area, complicating communications and emergency coordination. Police said the gunmen who carried out the attack surrounded the central mosque in Dekara and led the worshippers away through a bush path. Officials noted that attackers planted improvised explosive devices as they moved abductees toward the forest, resulting in the death of a teenage boy who tried to escape. Niger State authorities have launched a joint security operation to locate the attackers and rescue the hostages, but they declined to disclose further operational details, saying doing so could compromise ongoing rescue efforts.

No group has claimed responsibility yet, but analysts suspect a breakaway sect of Boko Haram in the area was involved. The attack is the latest sign of worsening insecurity in the Borgu-Kainji corridor, an area where authorities and security analysts have raised concerns about armed groups operating around Kainji Lake National Park, which borders Kebbi and Kwara states and neighbouring Benin. Local authorities in north-eastern Benin Republic have confirmed a number of people fled into the country after the incident, but they gave no details on numbers. More than 200 residents have reportedly fled across the border into Benin, while others have sought refuge in Kwara State. The attack occurred barely a week after another assault on worshippers in the Ungushi community in Sokoto State, where gunmen killed at least 32 people during Friday prayers, including the mosque’s imam.

Residents say the deployment of soldiers has brought some relief, but families are still homeless and growing increasingly hungry. “Our town has been burnt,” said Aminu Inuwa, who lost two brothers in the raid. “I have only one shirt, no food to eat, nothing else and our houses are nothing but ashes.” Zaki said years of insecurity had already resulted in local schools and markets closing, but residents were increasingly desperate after the attack, which he said had killed dozens and resulted in much of Dekera being burned. Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to ensure the safe rescue of those abducted, warning that victims of previous mass kidnappings have reported severe abuses, including torture, starvation, sexual violence and amputation. According to the organization, at least 1,100 people were abducted across Nigeria between January and April 2026, although the actual figure could be higher. The Dekera attack is the latest in a wave of violence that has plagued Niger State and other parts of northern Nigeria. Only a day before the Dekera raid, on August 21, armed assailants struck a Catholic school in the state’s Agwara area, abducting over 300 students and teachers. The back-to-back abductions highlight the growing audacity of criminal gangs and extremist groups operating in the region.

Two Weeks of Silence: Families of 600 Abducted Muslim Worshippers in Niger Demand Govt Action