Gunmen abduct worshippers from Nigeria mosque, police say

Gunmen stormed a mosque in Nigeria's Niger State during Friday prayers, kidnapping several worshippers, police have reported. The assault occurred at approximately 2 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Friday in Kpenya Mosque, situated in the Dekara district of the Borgu local government area. Prior to the attack, the assailants had targeted Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages, as per police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun.

According to Abiodun, no lives were lost during the operation but a joint security detachment has been dispatched to the region for evaluation and rescue efforts. The exact number of victims has not been confirmed by the police. Local residents informed Reuters that over 60 worshippers were abducted during the coordinated attack, which took place simultaneously in Dekara and three other communities within Borgu.

The incident unfolded while the faithful were engaged in their Friday prayers. Although Reuters has been unable to independently verify this account, mass kidnappings for ransom have become a recurrent phenomenon in certain parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria. These regions are plagued by violent criminal gangs, colloquially referred to as bandits, who frequently launch raids on villages, educational institutions, and highways.