NIGER ABDUCTION: Islamic Council Seeks Decisive Action Against Terrorists

| We’re hopeful of worshippers’ release – State Govt  |  Northern senators condemn fresh Borgu attack

By Salifu Usman, Samson Elijah & Abu Nmodu

The latest wave of attacks in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State has triggered renewed calls for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy, as the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) demanded decisive action against terrorists while the state government expressed optimism that abducted worshippers would soon regain their freedom.

The NSCIA said the simultaneous attacks on Gbeji (Gidan-Zana), Kpenya, Giyan Gbasu and Dekara on August 21, 2026, which reportedly left civilians dead and injured, with others abducted, had exposed dangerous gaps in the nation’s security architecture.

In a statement signed by its public affairs officer, Abbas Jimoh, the NSCIA said the attack on Dekara was particularly disturbing because terrorists reportedly invaded the Central Mosque during Jumu’at prayers and abducted more than 60 worshippers, while about 30 others were reportedly killed and several injured.

The council described the assault as an attack not only on innocent Nigerians but also on the sanctity of worship and the fundamental right of citizens to practise their religion without fear.

It questioned how terrorists continued to penetrate vulnerable communities and carry out mass attacks despite recent security successes.

The NSCIA recalled the August 5 rescue operation in which Nigerian security forces reportedly freed 308 abducted persons from the Kainji Lake National Park forest, including 163 victims from Woro in Kwara State and 145 from communities in Borgu.

While commending the operation, the council said the fresh attacks demonstrated that temporary security successes would not be enough unless the government dismantled the networks and hideouts enabling terrorists to return to previously attacked communities.

It therefore called on the Federal Government to abandon what it described as an “episodic” approach to rescue operations and establish a permanent, intelligence-led and community-centred security system.

The council specifically demanded an immediate and comprehensive review of security arrangements across Niger and Kwara states and adjoining border communities, with particular attention to the Kainji Lake National Park and surrounding forest corridors.

It urged security agencies to deploy aerial surveillance, strengthen intelligence networks and early-warning mechanisms, and coordinate ground operations to prevent terrorists from exploiting forests and difficult terrain as safe havens.

“The forests and other difficult terrains being used as sanctuaries by terrorists must no longer be treated as inaccessible spaces,” the council said.

The NSCIA also demanded the immediate mobilisation of resources to rescue everyone still being held captive following the Borgu attacks, insisting that the victims must be treated as a national priority.

It called for security personnel deployed to vulnerable areas to receive adequate equipment, logistics, training and operational support, while urging local communities to strengthen cooperation with security agencies.

The council further advocated the proper regulation and integration of lawful community vigilante structures into Nigeria’s broader early-warning and community-protection framework.

It appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Council, the Ministries of Defence and Interior, and all relevant security agencies to treat the Borgu attacks as a national emergency.

The council also rejected attempts to frame Nigeria’s insecurity solely as a religious conflict, arguing that attacks such as those in Borgu demonstrate the need for Nigerians to confront terrorism collectively, regardless of the faith of its victims.

While condoling with the families of those killed and injured, the NSCIA urged relatives of abducted victims not to lose hope, assuring them of its solidarity.

It also called on Nigerians to remain resolute, stressing that persistent terrorist attacks must not be allowed to weaken the nation’s resolve to defeat insecurity.

Northern Senators Condemn Borgu Attack, Demand Quick Release Of Abductees

Similarly, the Northern Senators’ Forum has condemned the recent terrorist attack in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, which reportedly led to the abduction of hundreds of worshippers at Kpenya Mosque.

The senators, in a statement issued yesterday and signed by the forum’s chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (Katsina Central), described the attack as barbaric and unacceptable.

They called on security agencies to intensify efforts to track down the abductors and secure the immediate and safe release of all those taken hostage.

The forum said the abductions occurred last Friday after Jumu’at prayers at Kpenya Mosque, as well as in some villages in Gidan-Zana and Kpenya in the Dekara District of Borgu Local Government Area.

“Targeting innocent worshippers in a mosque and defenceless rural communities is not only cowardly but an attack on our shared humanity and faith,” the senators said.

They expressed particular concern over reports that terrorists had planted landmines in the affected areas and carried out further abductions to use victims as bargaining chips.

“Reports of landmines being planted and further abductions to serve as bargaining chips are deeply troubling and unacceptable,” the statement added.

The senators urged the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to intensify ongoing rescue operations and ensure that the abductees were brought home safely.

They also called on the Federal Government to provide urgent relief and medical assistance to affected communities and deploy additional security personnel to Borgu and other vulnerable border communities.

According to the Northern Senators Forum, the situation underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the security architecture in Niger State and across the North-Central region to prevent further attacks.

“The Northern Senators Forum stands in full solidarity with the people of Niger State,” the senators said.

The lawmakers reaffirmed their commitment to working with the Presidency and state governments to restore peace, protect lives and safeguard the dignity of citizens across Northern Nigeria and the country at large.

Bandits Kill Village Head, State Govt Hopeful Of Abducted Worshippers’ Release

Even as the Niger State Government have expressed optimism over the safe release of worshippers abducted from Dakera Jumu’at Mosque following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to security agencies, bandits have reportedly killed the village head of Galla, Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf, in the same Borgu Emirate.

A villager, Mohammed Umaru Farouk, told LEADERSHIP that the traditional ruler was attacked and killed alongside four others by the bandits at his palace in Galla.

He said an unverified number of residents were also abducted during the attack, adding that the late village head, a retired military officer, had resisted the attackers.

Another villager, Saudaki Haruna, who said he had already relocated his family to Kainji, disclosed that the bandits specifically targeted the village head because he had earlier warned them to stay away from the community.

“Our village head had issued warnings to the bandits. I think they took it as an insult and affront on them, so they launched a deadly attack on our village, and unfortunately, they killed him and four others,” he said.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the late village head was related to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, and was also a prominent traditional leader in the Borgu Emirate.

The Commissioner for Homeland Security, Barrister Maurice Justin Magaji, confirmed the attack in Galla to LEADERSHIP, saying the state government had intensified sensitisation efforts to prevent further attacks.

“The attacks are happening in quick succession, and we are happy with the new division. More personnel will be available, and we are committed to ensuring the trend of attacks in Borgu is stopped,” he said.

On the abducted worshippers from Dakera Jumu’at Mosque, Magaji said the state government was encouraged by President Tinubu’s directive to security operatives to rescue the victims.

He said the presidential directive would boost the morale of security personnel and increase security coverage, thereby improving the prospects of safely rescuing the abducted worshippers.

He added that the state government was ready to provide the necessary logistics within its capacity to enable security operatives to function effectively in the rescue operation.

However, he said the exact number of people abducted had yet to be ascertained.

“The directive of the President is not only to rescue the Dakera worshippers alone, but all those in the bandits’ captivity. We are pleased with the decisive action of Mr President,” he said.

On a video released by the bandits purportedly showing some of the abducted persons, Magaji dismissed it as propaganda intended to attract public attention, insisting that the footage could not have been of victims abducted from the mosque.

Niger Governor Expresses Sadness, Confirms Killing Of Village Head

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has expressed sadness over the killing of the village head of Galla in Borgu Emirate, Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf, by suspected bandits.

In a condolence message, the governor confirmed that the deceased was a brother to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, and was killed by the bandits in his palace.

Bago described the killing of the traditional ruler in his palace as a demonstration of the boldness and “high level of insolence” of the bandits.

He tasked security agencies with ensuring that the perpetrators were not only apprehended but also prosecuted.

The governor commiserated with Senator Sabi Abdullahi, the immediate family of the deceased, the people of Galla and the entire Borgu Emirate over the death of the village head.

He urged the bereaved family and the people of the community to take solace in the fact that the deceased lived a good life and died defending his subjects.

Bago further assured the deceased’s family, the people of Galla and the entire Borgu Emirate of his support during the period of mourning.