Niger Abduction: Terrorists Yet To Make Contact Six Days After Attack — Commissioner
Six days after suspected terrorists abducted worshippers during Friday prayers in Niger State, the state government says it is yet to receive any contact from the abductors and is still unable to confirm the exact number of people taken. The Commissioner for Information, Obed Nuhu, disclosed this on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.No Contact From Abductors
Nuhu said the August 21 attacks occurred at three different locations in Borgu Local Government Area and were suspected to have been carried out by Lakurawa and Boko Haram elements.No such contact with the kidnappers has happened. We have not had any interactions with them, but the suspicion is the Lakurawas, as they call themselves, and Boko Haram. It happened in three different locations around that kingdom. The commissioner added that the government was still gathering verified information on the number of victims and warned against relying on unconfirmed figures. We will not speculate on the number of people abducted until we obtain verified details.
Details Of The Attack
According to reports, attackers stormed the Kpenya Mosque in Gidan-Zana, Kpenya village, at about 2 pm on August 21 during Juma’at prayers and abducted worshippers, including children, women and elderly people. The village head of Ka’ada, recently released from captivity, and the 90-year-old father of the District Head of Dekara were among those abducted. The Niger State Police Command initially said an unspecified number of people were taken and that some residents escaped into a nearby forest. It added that no deaths were recorded in the mosque attack and that a joint security team had been deployed for assessment and rescue operations. Subsequent reports showed the violence extended beyond the mosque to several communities in the Dekara area.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Northern Senators Forum said attacks also occurred in Gbeji, also known as Gidan-Zana, Kpenya, Giyan Gbasu and Dekara, with residents killed, injured or abducted. The Islamic council expressed concern over the attack in Dekara, where terrorists reportedly invaded a central mosque during Jumu’at prayers and abducted more than 60 worshippers. The Presidency said more than 40 people were killed across the affected communities, while more than 100 others were abducted and taken into nearby forests. The Niger State Government, however, said the figures have not been independently reconciled and that the number of abductees is still being verified.
Rescue Operation Intensifies
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a coordinated rescue operation involving the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other security agencies. Channels Television reported that the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has deployed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Victor Olaiya, to coordinate the operation alongside other security agencies. Governor Umaru Bago directed security agencies to work towards the safe recovery of the victims and to restore normalcy to the affected communities. The state government said a joint security operation has been mobilised but withheld operational details due to the sensitivity of the mission. The Northern Senators Forum has demanded the immediate and safe release of the victims and called for increased security deployment and a review of the security architecture in Niger State and the North-Central region. The forum described the abduction of worshippers from a mosque as particularly disturbing. For families of the victims, uncertainty persists nearly a week after the attack, as there has been no contact from the abductors and authorities are yet to establish precisely how many people remain in captivity. Security agencies say they are continuing search and rescue operations across the affected communities in Borgu LGA.
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