- Gunmen Invade Mosques, Abduct Worshippers After Friday Prayers in Niger
- The exact number of people taken remains unknown following attacks.
- Lawmaker linked forest hideouts to suspected Lakurawa and Mamudawa members.
Gunmen on Friday invaded several communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State and abducted an unspecified number of worshippers shortly after Friday prayers.
The attacks reportedly occurred in Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka communities, where the gunmen moved into areas around mosques and abducted several residents.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the lawmaker representing the area, Jafar Muhammad Shetiman Borgu, confirmed the incident and said the exact number of people abducted had yet to be established.
According to Vanguard, the attackers reportedly used machetes to assault worshippers during the invasion.
Some of the worshippers managed to escape, while others sustained injuries as they fled from the attackers.
After leaving Dekara, the gunmen reportedly moved into neighbouring communities, where they carried out further abductions after residents had completed their Friday prayers.
Youths and heads of households were reportedly among those taken into the surrounding forests by the attackers.
The incident has heightened fear among residents of Borgu, an area that shares borders with Kebbi and Kwara states as well as the Republic of Benin.
Shetiman Borgu said forests in the area were being used as hideouts by suspected members of the Lakurawa and Mamudawa groups.
“Some people managed to escape, while others sustained machete wounds. The attackers entered the mosque after Friday prayers, surrounded the mosque and took worshippers into the forest. They later moved into neighbouring communities and abducted more people after Friday prayers. The people taken away included youths and heads of households. The forests in the area have become hideouts for suspected members of the Lakurawa and Mamudawa groups”, he said.
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