In a flash of violence that has racked the remote Borgu region of Niger State, armed gunmen assaulted the villages of Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka on Friday, killing more than 40 residents and abducting as many as 500 civilians, according to local reports.
During Friday prayers, attackers stormed multiple mosques, leaving families terrified. The savagery was then broadcast to the internet when the kidnappers posted a short clip on social media of people “seated in a forest”. Local youth leaders, who refused to be identified, say the footage contained recognizable faces from their communities, offering a faint glimmer of hope to grieving families that their loved ones are still alive.
The incident follows a string of similar assaults across north‑western Nigeria. Authorities suspect the perpetrators are a bandit group – a criminal gang that routinely carries out kidnappings for ransom. No ransom has yet been demanded, but improvised explosive devices scattered through the villages detonated, killing a teenage boy who tried to flee.
President Bola Tinubu answered the crisis quickly, ordering a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrators, declaring the killings “cowardly attacks on defenceless Nigerians” and promising justice for the victims. He also sent condolences to the families of the slain.
The attacks came amid growing concerns about jihadist tribes infiltrating the border region that touches Kebbi, Kwara, and Benin, threatening to impose religious restrictions on civilians. Earlier this month, police had rescued 145 people from four separate villages. As the nation grapples with escalating insecurity, the President vows that those who commit these murders will not escape punishment.
