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Communities across Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State are increasingly deserted following a series of persistent attacks by armed men, ZINGTIE reports.

Residents said the repeated violence has forced many villagers to abandon their homes and farms, with some fleeing across the border into neighbouring Benin Republic.

The latest incident, during which Muslim worshippers were abducted while observing Jumu’at prayers, has further heightened fears among residents who say they are no longer confident about returning home.

ZINGTIE recalls that suspected terrorists stormed Dekara, Gidan-Zana and Kpenya communities on Friday, August 21, 2026, during Jumu’at prayers and abducted an unspecified number of worshippers.

The police have not yet established the precise number of people taken away.

The command said it was working alongside community members and local vigilantes to determine the figure, citing the difficult terrain and scattered nature of the affected communities.

Several different figures have emerged following the attack.

Prince Murtala Haliru Dantoro, son of the late Emir of Borgu, Senator Haliru Dantoro Kitoro III, told journalists on Sunday that information reaching him from affected communities indicated that the number of abductees could be as high as 500.

He stressed, however, that the figure had not been independently confirmed and could be lower.

A video that emerged following the attack appeared to show a large number of women, children and elderly persons being held in a forested location.

Residents who watched the footage identified some of the people shown as members of their families.

For relatives whose loved ones were caught up in the incident, the uncertainty has made an already difficult situation even more distressing.

Alhassan, a resident said some families had been unable to contact their relatives in affected communities after bandits destroyed telecommunications infrastructure serving the area.

“We are worried because we cannot reach our people who were attacked by bandits. We cannot call them because they destroyed the mast serving the area,” he said.

He added that the security situation had left residents afraid to return or travel to their communities.

According to him, “We can’t sleep well, we can’t travel home. It is like there is no government protection leaving people.”

Endless Attacks

The August 21 attack was not the first major security incident recorded in Borgu this year.

On January 3, gunmen invaded Kasuwan-Daji village in Borgu, killing at least 30 people and abducting several others, according to police and local sources.

In February, coordinated attacks on Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso and Pissa communities in the area reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 32 people, with others abducted, according to residents and the police.

Another attack recorded in March across communities in Borgu reportedly claimed at least 15 lives, according to Amnesty International.

The repeated incidents have contributed to widespread displacement in parts of Borgu and Agwara as residents seek safer places to live.

Thousands of residents were reportedly displaced from parts of Borgu and Agwara in February, with some crossing into Benin Republic.

The frequency of the attacks has also raised questions among residents about whether security deployments introduced after each incident are sufficient to prevent subsequent attacks.

Those concerns have become even stronger following the August 21 incident, which occurred while worshippers were observing prayers.

Villages emptied

Malam Mohammed, a resident said that many villagers had relocated to Babana following the recent attacks.

He said the Dekara area had become largely deserted, while military personnel had taken control of portions of the affected communities.

According to him, residents of the villages targeted by the attackers fled because they no longer felt secure.

Some residents, he added, had crossed into Benin Republic.

Musa, a resident of Wawa also said those displaced had abandoned their homes, farms and other sources of livelihood.

He explained that the residents wanted a lasting solution to the insecurity before considering returning home.

“We are demanding a permanent solution to this problem. If not, they cannot go back to those areas again,” Musa said.

Another resident, Mrs Bola Ibrahim, expressed concern that the latest security deployment might not be maintained for long.

She noted that security agencies often increase their presence immediately after attacks, but residents fear that attackers could return once the deployment is scaled down.

“Now that it has occurred again, the military, police and other security agencies are there. After a while, they will go, and later the attacks will return. And they will react as usual,” she said.

Fear of informants

The prolonged insecurity has also created growing suspicion within some communities, as residents raise concerns over alleged informants working with criminal groups.

Some residents alleged that details of a meeting involving district heads after the abduction may have been leaked to the attackers.

The allegation could not be independently verified.

Nevertheless, the claim has deepened mistrust among residents, some of whom have become increasingly cautious about who they share sensitive information with.

Residents are also worried about the impact of such suspicions on cooperation with security agencies, particularly as communities need to provide intelligence to help track attackers but fear that information could be leaked.

Galla village head killed

The killing of the village head of Galla, Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf, has further heightened tension across the emirate.

Yusuf was reportedly killed inside his palace by suspected bandits several days after the worshippers were abducted.

He was a retired military officer and the brother of the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago condemned the killing, describing the attack on the traditional ruler inside his palace as a demonstration of the “boldness and high level of insolence” of the attackers.

Bago called on security agencies to apprehend those responsible and ensure they face prosecution.

CAN calls for permanent presence

The Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has also demanded stronger security arrangements in the affected communities.

The state CAN chairman, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, called for the establishment of a strong and permanent security presence across Borgu and Agwara.

“The whole of Borgu Emirate, which includes Agwara and Borgu LGAs, needs a strong and permanent security presence so that those in the rural communities can live without fear of being abducted,” he said.

CAN also mobilised Christians across Niger State to pray for the safe return of the abducted worshippers.

Police admit operational challenges

The Niger State Police Command acknowledged the challenges involved in securing the affected areas during a visit by IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu on August 29.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, said Niger State covers approximately 76,000 square kilometres and contains extensive forests, scattered settlements and difficult terrain.

He identified Niger North, which includes Borgu and Agwara, as the command’s most difficult operational area.

Following the August 21 attack, the command deployed tactical teams, Police Mobile Force personnel and other security operatives to Borgu and Agwara.

The police also said they were collaborating with local residents and vigilante groups to determine the number of abducted persons and assist ongoing rescue efforts.

Elleman, however, identified shortages in manpower, inadequate mobility, limited logistics and insufficient modern surveillance equipment as major challenges confronting the command.

The police requested additional personnel, Armoured Personnel Carriers, improved communication equipment, surveillance drones, aerial monitoring systems and night-vision devices.

IGP deploys AIG, tactical team

In response to the concerns, IGP Disu deployed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Abuja, AIG Victor Olaiya, alongside a tactical team to support operations in Borgu.

During his visit, the IGP said he had come to engage with officers, understand their operational difficulties and assure them of the backing of the police hierarchy.

According to him, “I came first to interact and understand your challenges and to say thank you.”

He acknowledged growing concerns among Nigerians over the security situation in Niger State and urged officers to remain determined.

The IGP stated, “Every Nigerian is concerned about what is happening in Niger State.”

Disu condemned the attacks on innocent citizens and described the activities of the attackers as unacceptable.

He also noted that the insecurity was having negative consequences for the state’s economy.

The police chief urged residents to regard the police as protectors and encouraged officers to cooperate with other security agencies in tackling the insecurity.

“I want the people of Niger to see us as their protectors. We must work well to ensure the problem is solved,” he noted.

Disu told senior officers that his visit was intended to give him a better understanding of the command’s operational realities and determine areas where additional support could be provided.

He stressed that the rescue effort could not be handled by the police alone, noting that the Nigerian Army, intelligence agencies and other security organisations were involved.

He stated, “The Nigerian Police are contributing everything they could, and the sister agencies have come together, the intelligence agencies, the Nigerian Army, and then we are working together in ensuring that we bring them out from where they are safely.”

The IGP said he was satisfied with the progress of the operation but declined to reveal certain details because of their operational sensitivity.

He also called for stronger collaboration among the police, traditional institutions, religious leaders and local communities.

Disu disclosed that residents were already supplying useful information to Divisional Police Officers to assist efforts against criminal activities both in Niger State and across the country.

Residents want more than rescue

Dantoro said the ongoing rescue effort should be followed by a security arrangement capable of preventing future attacks, including greater involvement of local vigilantes who possess detailed knowledge of the terrain.

He explained that the security situation had significantly changed how residents travelled within Borgu, noting that roads and communities previously accessible at night were now considered unsafe even during daylight.

According to him, “Before, you could travel to Borgu at midnight. Now, you cannot travel to Borgu during the day or at night, even with a torch, because of insecurity.”

He stressed that residents were seeking more than the recovery of those already abducted, demanding measures capable of preventing further attacks.

“We are not asking to be rescued after the fact. We are asking for security before the fact,” Dantoro stated.

He called for a permanent and sustained security presence across the affected communities so that residents could return to their homes, farms and businesses.

He also appealed for assistance for displaced women and children taking refuge in Babana and other locations.

Dantoro appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the security crisis, describing him as “our father, our late father’s friend and the Jagaban Borgu.”

For now, many residents affected by the attacks remain displaced from their homes and farms as they wait to see whether the latest security operation will restore enough confidence for them to return.

While the immediate priority remains securing the safe release of those abducted, residents say their concerns extend beyond the current rescue effort.

For those who have fled their communities, the bigger question is whether the security presence will remain after the current operation ends.

They want to return home, but they also want assurance that they will not be forced to flee again.

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