Nigeria: Jihadis kidnap dozens during Friday prayers

Extremists abducted multiple worshippers in Nigeria's Niger State on Friday during prayer at a mosque in the village of Kpenya, authorities reported on Saturday. Police stated that the armed men entered the mosque and took people away while they were praying. The attack occurred as the Juma'at mosque service concluded. According to a survivor, the armed group, numbering in the hundreds, wielded guns, knives, and machetes, and began attacking the worshippers.

Some of the victims were reportedly killed, claiming that the attackers believed the worshippers were not practicing true Islam. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and police have not identified the culprits. Local sources suggest the attackers may be linked to radical groups such as Lakurawa, Ansaru, or Mahmuda, a faction aligned with al-Qaeda.

The ongoing attacks, though less frequent than during the Boko Haram insurgency, continue to strain the military and police resources in Nigeria, which also faces violence and kidnappings from non-ideological gangs.