Armed gunmen seize more than 60 worshippers at Niger state mosque during Friday prayers
Gunmen stormed Kpenya Mosque in Niger state's Borgu area on Friday, abducting over 60 congregants, police said.
Police announced that heavily armed men attacked Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district of Borgu local government area, Niger state, on Friday afternoon, taking more than 60 worshippers hostage. The assault followed earlier strikes on Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages, according to spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun. The incident unfolded at about 2 p.m. (1300 GMT) while congregants were observing Friday prayers.
Authorities confirmed that no one was killed and that a joint security detachment has been deployed to evaluate the situation and conduct rescue operations. A local resident told one outlet the attacks appeared coordinated and were carried out simultaneously in Dekara and three other Borgu communities. The kidnapping adds to a pattern of mass abductions by bandit groups in north-central and north-western Nigeria.
Why it matters
The raid highlights the ongoing threat of large-scale kidnappings by armed groups in Nigeria's central region.
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