A village head and a 90-year-old man were among worshippers reportedly abducted by suspected terrorists during Friday prayers in Kpenya village, Gidan-Zana, in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The incident occurred at a mosque in Kpenya, within Dekara District, as Muslim faithful gathered for the weekly congregational prayers.
Sources said the attackers specifically targeted elderly worshippers, following concerns reportedly raised by community elders over the worsening terrorist activities in the area and their appeal for the establishment of military bases to protect residents.
The Village Head of Ka’aba and the 90-year-old father of the District Head of Dekara were said to be among those taken away.
According to the sources, most of the abducted worshippers were aged 50 years and above.
The attackers were alleged to be members of terrorist groups identified as Mamuda, Lakurawa and Boko Haram, which have reportedly operated in the area for about two years.
A large contingent of Lakurawa fighters was said to have surrounded the mosque towards the end of the Friday prayers before separating the worshippers into groups and taking them into the Kainji Game Reserve forest, where the terrorists are believed to have established operational bases.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the attack but said it had yet to ascertain the exact number of people abducted.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said suspected terrorists invaded Gidan-Zana and the Kpenya mosque at about 2pm on Friday and abducted an unspecified number of worshippers.
Abiodun said the police were working to identify the victims and establish the number of those taken away.
He added that security operatives had commenced efforts to track the attackers and secure the release of the abducted worshippers.
The incident has heightened concerns over the security situation in communities around the Borgu axis, particularly amid growing calls from residents for stronger military presence to check the activities of armed groups in the area.