Niger Mosque Attack: Govt Yet to Hear from Terrorists, Says Number of Abducted Worshippers Still Unknown
Mirian Gom 
NIGER, Nigeria – The Niger State Government has disclosed that it is yet to establish contact with terrorists who abducted worshippers during Friday prayers in Borgu Local Government Area, six days after the attack.
The government also said it was still unable to confirm the exact number of people taken by the attackers, insisting that investigations were ongoing to verify conflicting casualty figures.
Commissioner for Information, Obed Nuhu, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, saying the August 21 attacks occurred at three different locations and were believed to have been carried out by elements of the Lakurawa group and Boko Haram.
“We have not had any interactions with them. The suspicion is the Lakurawas as they call themselves Boko Haram. It happened in three different locations around that kingdom,” Nuhu said.
The attacks occurred after heavily armed terrorists reportedly stormed Kpenya Mosque in Gidan-Zana, Kpenya village, during Juma’at prayers on August 21.
Among those reportedly taken were the village head of Ka’ada, who had only recently regained freedom from captivity, and the 90-year-old father of the District Head of Dekara.
Following the incident, the Niger State Police Command confirmed that an unspecified number of residents had been abducted, while several others escaped into nearby forests.
The Islamic council specifically alleged that more than 60 worshippers were kidnapped from a central mosque in Dekara during Friday prayers.
The Presidency also stated that over 40 people were killed across the affected communities, while more than 100 residents were abducted and taken into surrounding forests.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has deployed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Victor Olaiya, to coordinate rescue operations alongside other security agencies.
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