Security forces, including the military, police and Department of State Services, have moved into Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State to rescue hundreds of residents reportedly abducted by terrorists last Friday.
The development followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for security forces to move into the area and secure the affected communities as well as rescue the victims.
While the police put the number of victims between 155 and 164, the terrorists claimed in a video that they were holding more than 500 people.
A community leader in Babanna, a neighbouring community, Idris Shiyaki, confirmed the arrival of security forces to Saturday PUNCH on Friday.
“The situation now is a bit under control because they mobilised military personnel there. As I speak, the troops are still expanding their base,” he said.
Also, a top DSS officer confirmed the development.
“I’m aware the team landed on Wednesday, and some other personnel will join them,” the officer said.
The August 21 attacks occurred in four communities during Friday Islamic prayers and were suspected to have been carried out by the Lakurawa and Boko Haram terrorist groups.
The attackers reportedly invaded Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district of Borgu, as well as Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages. Three other communities in the local government area were also attacked, with an unspecified number of residents abducted.
Shiyaki said the troops had also been assisting survivors with the mass burial of victims whose bodies were recovered across the affected communities.
“Military vehicles are also being used to transport displaced persons who fled to neighbouring Babanna, which currently serves as a central refuge for survivors,” he added.
The community leader alleged that the insurgents had lived undetected among residents for a long time, using civilians to conceal themselves whenever security forces conducted patrols.
“They’ve been living with those people for a long time, and those people have been hiding them. But they believe they are good people.
“Each time any military personnel want to do a patrol there, they will hide those people in their houses,” he said.
A top security officer confirmed that the Defence Headquarters had deployed personnel to the area.
“Personnel were deployed immediately after the President spoke on it on Monday. They are already in Niger and Borgu, to be specific.
“The first thing is to gather intelligence and know what is on the ground. A rescue operation is not done in a hurry. This is just a process, but I can assure you that the victims will be rescued,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.
Similarly, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said the rescue operation had commenced, while acknowledging the challenges involved.
He said the priority was to rescue the victims safely without exposing security personnel to danger.
“If you rush it, you might end up losing the lives of these victims you are trying to rescue. So, it is not about timing, but how prepared we are. It is about analysing all the strategies we need to put in place to rescue these victims unhurt,” Abiodun said.
According to him, no fewer than five communities were affected by the attacks, leaving residents displaced and properties destroyed.
Shiyaki said the attackers unleashed terror on the communities last Friday shortly after night prayers, killing several residents, abducting others and setting houses ablaze.
“They burnt all the houses there; they didn’t leave anything for us. It is about five communities within the area that were affected: Mayanga, Dekara, Kapubara, Gbagbazhi and Yagba. They followed them one after the other,” he said.
When contacted for confirmation, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, declined comment.
The state Commissioner for Information, Obed Nuhu, had on Thursday, during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, disclosed that the terrorists had yet to contact the government.
Victims held in Kainji park
Saturday PUNCH gathered that hundreds of the abducted residents were being held in the Kainji National Park.
Our correspondents also gathered that residents of some of the affected communities had previously been warned to relocate because of the growing presence of terrorists in the area.
The Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, Kabir Adamu, said the terrorists could be holding the victims inside the Kainji National Park because the forest reserve was likely to be their first port of call.
“When such incidents occur, what normally happens is that they (kidnappers) take them (victims) around and later disperse them and then hold them at a place to negotiate. So, it could be one, two or four groups holding them.
“They are most likely inside there. From there, they can lead you all the way into the Benin Republic. They can lead you back to Kebbi State, from there to Niger Republic.
“But I don’t think that is the intention. They don’t intend to take them to either Benin Republic or Niger. So, they are most likely inside the reserve while they are waiting to negotiate their release,” Adamu said.
A recently retired military intelligence officer called for the deployment of tactical teams into the forest reserve.
“They will still be in the forest. That is their base. The security and tactical teams should man strategic locations,” he said.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that about seven active armed ideological and non-ideological groups operate in the old Borgu area of Niger State.
They include Lakurawa, Mamuda, Answaru, a faction of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, the official name of Boko Haram, and some bandit groups.
‘Villagers ignored relocation warning’
It was learnt that residents of the affected communities had earlier been advised to relocate because of terrorist activities in the area.
A government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the affected communities were regarded as a danger zone because of the presence of terrorists.
“That area is very dangerous. The government last year informed the people of the place that they were prone to attack and that they should relocate from the place.
“Kainji National Park is now the hub of the terrorists, and they are very close to Borgu. In fact, the terrorists are all over that place. So, the government advised the people to leave. It is unfortunate that these things are happening despite warnings,” the official said.
However, the source declined to say through whom or which channel the relocation warning was communicated to the residents. He also did not disclose the exact date the warning was issued.
The state police spokesman, Abiodun, confirmed that residents of the affected villages had previously been warned about the presence of armed groups and advised to relocate.
He said the government had planned to conduct a “clearance operation” to flush out the terrorists from the area.
“It will be very difficult to have the deployment of security teams in all these villages around Borgu Local Government Area, which stretches to Agwara. Government, over time, had declared that people should move away from these places to allow a clearance operation to be carried out.
“When this is done, and we ensure that these locations are safe, that is when people can now be asked to come back to these communities,” he said.
Abiodun added that the planned operation could not be carried out because residents had refused to leave their communities.
“But we know people sometimes find it difficult to leave their ancestral homes because of farming and other activities. However, one thing that should be very important is life. We don’t have two lives.
“Those places are dangerous because of the presence of these terrorist groups. Why don’t you allow security to do our intelligence work, then when we declare that these areas are safe, people can come back to continue their activities?” he added.
Fourth mass abduction in nine months
The latest attack is the fourth reported mass abduction in Niger State within nine months, highlighting the worsening security challenges confronting communities in the state.
On November 21, 2025, terrorists attacked St Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of the state, abducting 303 students and 12 teachers.
Terrorists also attacked Kasuwan Daji/Demo in Borgu Local Government Area on January 3, killing no fewer than 30 people and abducting 57 residents.
On February 14, no fewer than 176 women and children were abducted from Konkoso, Tungan-Makeri and Pissa, also in Borgu Local Government Area, by suspected Boko Haram members.
On April 7, bandits invaded the Baga community in Shiroro Local Government Area, killing five villagers and abducting at least 150 residents.
The latest incident has also renewed concerns about the spread of mass abductions beyond isolated attacks on individuals and small groups.
Kwara and Oyo states have similarly witnessed mass abductions, with some victims spending months in captivity.
No fewer than 176 women and children from Woro in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State were abducted by terrorists on February 3. The victims regained their freedom after spending six months in captivity.
In Oyo State, Boko Haram terrorists attacked three schools in Esinele, Oriire Local Government Area, on May 15. The attackers abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers.
(Punch)
