Terrorists and their obsession with Niger – Daily Trust

On Friday, August 21, 2026, many terrorists descended on worshippers and abducted them from various mosques in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The attacks were launched simultaneously in Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana communities.

Some of the worshippers who escaped are now receiving treatment at different health centres, including those with life-threatening injuries.

Besides those kidnapped from the mosques, credible sources said the terrorists also moved from house to house, abducting women and children and taking them all into the bushes.

Sadly, and in an apparent show of contempt, the terrorists later showcased the captives in a video released on Sunday, calling on the beleaguered survivors in the affected communities to identify their loved ones.

There are also suggestions that the terrorists may have killed some of the captives.

Sources said that although the locals who were recently attacked have been living under the so-called “Sharia rule” imposed by the terrorists, many of them do not believe in their ideology, which, in practice, is far removed from what Islam prescribes.

It was gathered that this was partly responsible for the latest onslaught against the communities.

For a long time, attacks on communities in Niger State have become a daily occurrence. Unless the number of people abducted is exceptionally high, however, the world rarely hears about the pain and agony of the victims.

Wittingly or unwittingly, security forces, civil society organisations (CSOs) and even the media often describe the attackers simply as “bandits”.

But for nearly two decades, those who have paid attention to the security challenges in Niger State and other parts of the North-Central and North-West regions have known that the description is too simplistic.

Specifically in Niger State, there had been disturbing developments even before the carnage unleashed by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East from 2009.

There is documented evidence that non-state actors claiming to be Muslims and operating under various names have lived in different locations across Niger State.

For instance, in 2023, a former governor of the state, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, said that immediately after taking over as governor in 2007, he was briefed about the existence of extremists in the state.

Speaking at an event in Kaduna, he claimed that he chased the dreaded Boko Haram leaders.

He said that if he had not taken that action, the state would have become the foundation of Boko Haram.

According to him: “When I arrived in Niger State, I found a security challenge in the form of nine people who went to a village in Mokwa Local Government, who had multiplied in 2007 to 7,000 people and were involved in armed robbery and abducting women in the area. They constituted themselves into a republic.

“When I took the census, I discovered that more than 60 per cent of the members were not Nigerians. The original Shekau and Abu Qaqa were the leaders. I got the support of the late President Musa Yar’Adua to disperse them after compensating them and providing them transport to their destination in Nigeria, while the foreigners were taken to their borders.

“That action probably saved Niger State from being the foundation of Boko Haram. As we came to know, they were regularly visiting the River Niger Bridge…”

Findings revealed that the extremist sect, initially operating under the name Darul-Islam (or Darul-Salam), had reportedly settled around 1991 in a remote area of Mokwa Local Government Area, particularly around Bokani and the fringes of Mokwa. What started as a small group reportedly grew to thousands of members by 2007, effectively operating as an isolated community.

More recently, there have been claims that Lakurawa terrorists, previously known to have cells around Sokoto and Kebbi states, have extended their tentacles into Niger State.

Although there are no concrete facts to establish this yet, there are also claims that last Friday’s attacks on mosques in Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana were carried out by members of the Ansaru terrorist group.

Security sources believe that the terrorists from time to time also connive with sundry criminals like cattle rustlers and abductors in the form of “marriage of convenience” because the relationship rarely lasts long.

One of the sources told the Daily Trust that most of the families of the abductors are known, and that deploying the Oriire example would be the best way to bring back those who were recently abducted.

“It should be eye for an eye…This is the truth. Government should start ‘abducting’ families of terrorists to serve as deterrence,” the source said.

Why terrorists see Niger as a destination of choice

Covering about 76,363 square kilometres, Niger State is the largest of Nigeria’s 36 states by land area. It provides a useful example of how geography can complicate security.

Its vast forests, difficult terrain, rivers and sparsely populated rural communities create spaces in which armed groups can operate, hide and move between communities. These largely unutilised spaces have consequently become a major security challenge.

A recent risk assessment identified nine LGAs as particularly affected by banditry and kidnapping: Borgu, Mariga, Mashegu, Rafi, Shiroro, Wushishi, Kontagora, Munya and Paikoro.

The most established hotspot is the Shiroro-Rafi-Munya axis.

Shiroro has been particularly vulnerable. The local government is enormous—covering about 5,015 square kilometres—and in April 2026, residents told FIJ that only about four security posts were serving the area despite recurrent attacks.

The security problem extends northwards. Mariga, Mashegu and Kontagora have also experienced serious attacks, while Borgu and Agwara have emerged as increasingly important parts of the security equation because of their proximity to the vast Kainji Lake National Park and Niger State’s border with the Benin Republic.

Indeed, the situation in Borgu has deteriorated sharply. In January 2026, armed men suspected to be operating from Kainji Lake National Park attacked Kasuwan Daji market in Kabe District, killing about 30 people and abducting scores of others. In June, another attack in Dekara reportedly saw bandits burn a primary school after allegedly collecting a N10 million protection levy from communities. Residents said the attackers came from the national park.

The park stretches across the western part of Niger State and into neighbouring Kwara State. Its enormous and difficult-to-police terrain has become an important security concern. In June 2026, the Niger State Government said security forces had been deployed into the park to flush out bandits using it as a haven, particularly around Borgu, Agwara and neighbouring communities.

More recently, Nigerian security forces said they had conducted a major operation inside the dense forests of Kainji Lake National Park and rescued more than 300 hostages, including 145 people abducted primarily from Niger State.

Another critical forest area that serves as a sanctuary for bandits is the Alawa Forest Reserve, around Shiroro, Munya and Rafi. Security studies have identified camps in areas known as Kugu and Dogon Fili. From these locations, armed groups have attacked communities and security personnel in different parts of the state.

There is also a wider forest corridor connecting Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State through the Kamuku Forest towards parts of Niger State.

Taken together, these developments suggest that Niger State’s security crisis cannot be adequately understood as ordinary banditry. Its vast territory, difficult terrain, extensive forests, porous borders and history of extremist activity have made it attractive to different armed groups.

The recurring attacks should therefore be treated as part of a deeper and evolving security challenge, one that demands sustained intelligence gathering, stronger security presence, better coordination among security agencies and, above all, a clear understanding of who the attackers are and what they seek to achieve.