Dozens kidnapped from Nigerian mosque in village raids

Armed assailants attacked a mosque in Kpenya village, Nigeria's Niger state, after carrying out raids on several other villages. The incidents occurred in the remote Borgu Local Government Area, with police confirming the mosque attack on Saturday.

While police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun did not provide specific numbers, he stated that no lives were lost in the Friday attacks and that the army had been deployed. However, local residents reported that dozens of people were kidnapped. Some estimates suggest the number of abductees could be between 60 and 80 individuals.

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The people were kidnapped while they were praying in a Juma’at mosque on Friday. That was when the bad guys came, surrounded the mosque and took them away.

The search for survivors was underway on Saturday. Abdullahi Mohammed Nasir, the chairman of the Borgu area council, reported that at least 60 people were abducted and an unspecified number sustained gunshot wounds while attempting to escape the armed men. He described how the attackers surrounded the mosque during Friday prayers and took the worshippers.

Zubairu Umar Talba, a youth leader in the Dekara area of Borgu, told The Associated Press that his 85-year-old father was among those kidnapped. He noted the difficulty in determining the exact number of abductees, as many have fled the area.

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Nobody can say the exact number of people kidnapped because, as of now, about 80 of our people have been abducted and many have fled the area.