Extremists Kidnap Up to 60 Worshippers in Niger Mosque Attack
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Aug 23
Extremists Kidnap Up to 60 Worshippers in Niger Mosque Attack
3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Aug 23
Summary
Up to 60 worshippers were abducted from a mosque in Kpenya, Niger State, after armed men stormed Friday prayers following attacks on nearby villages in Borgu.
Witnesses said hundreds of attackers armed with guns, knives and machetes killed several people and accused villagers of not following the true teachings of Islam, though police said early reports showed no deaths.
No group had claimed responsibility a day later, and accounts diverged over whether the gunmen were Lakurawa, Ansaru or another faction; residents also said rival jihadis from Mahmuda helped some captives escape.
The attack underscores Nigeria's still-fragile security picture, where jihadist violence has eased from Boko Haram's peak but forces remain stretched by overlapping insurgencies and bandit kidnappings.