Key facts
- Over 60 worshippers were abducted from a mosque in Nigeria's Niger state.
- The abduction occurred during Friday prayers.
Armed men abducted over 60 worshippers from a mosque in Nigeria's Niger state during Friday prayers, police said on Saturday. The attack occurred in the Borgu local government area, and security forces have been deployed for rescue operations.
The mass abduction highlights the ongoing security challenges in Nigeria's north-central region, where violent gangs frequently target civilians, underscoring the persistent threat of banditry and kidnapping for ransom.
Armed men abducted over 60 worshippers from a mosque in Nigeria's north-central Niger state during Friday prayers, police reported on Saturday. The incident is the latest in a series of mass kidnappings plaguing the region.
According to police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun, the attackers targeted the Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district of Borgu local government area around 2 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Friday, following an initial assault on the villages of Gidan-Zana and Kpenya.
Abiodun stated that no fatalities occurred and that a joint security detachment has been dispatched to the area to conduct assessments and initiate rescue efforts.
A local resident informed Reuters that the attack appeared to be coordinated, occurring simultaneously in Dekara and three other communities within Borgu while residents were engaged in Friday prayers. Reuters was unable to independently verify this account.
Mass kidnappings for ransom have become a frequent occurrence in parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where heavily armed criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, regularly carry out raids on villages, schools, and highways.