Communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State have become a shadow of their former selves following persistent attacks by armed men, DAILY POST reports.
According to residents, repeated attacks have forced villagers to abandon their homes and farms, while some have crossed into neighbouring Benin Republic.
The latest attack, in which Muslim worshippers were abducted during Jumu’at prayers, has heightened fears among residents, who say they are no longer confident about returning to their communities.
DAILY POST recalls that suspected terrorists invaded Dekara, Gidan-Zana and Kpenya communities on Friday, August 21, 2026, during Jumu’at prayers and simultaneously abducted an unspecified number of worshippers.
The police have yet to establish the exact number of those abducted.
The command said it was working with community members and local vigilantes to determine the figure because of the difficult terrain and the spread of the affected communities.
Different figures have emerged since the attack.
Prince Murtala Haliru Dantoro, son of the late Emir of Borgu, Senator Haliru Dantoro Kitoro III, told journalists on Sunday that information available to him from affected communities suggested that the number could be as high as 500.
He, however, said the figure had not been confirmed and could be lower.
A video circulated after the attack appeared to show a large group of women, children and elderly people being held in a forested area.
Residents identified some of those seen in the video as their relatives.
For families whose relatives were caught up in the attack, the uncertainty has made the situation more difficult.
Alhassan, a resident who spoke to DAILY POST, said families were unable to contact relatives in some of the affected communities after telecommunications infrastructure serving the area was destroyed by bandits.
“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 stated that residents were now living in fear and were also afraid to 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 incident is not the first major security breach recorded in the Borgu area this year.
On January 3, gunmen attacked Kasuwan-Daji village in Borgu, killing at least 30 people and abducting others, according to police and local sources.
In February, coordinated attacks on Tunga-Makeri, Konkoso and Pissa communities in the same area left at least 32 people dead, while others were abducted, according to the police and the residents.
Another attack in March on communities in the Borgu area reportedly left at least 15 people dead, according to Amnesty International.
The attacks have contributed to a pattern of displacement in parts of Borgu and Agwara, with residents fleeing their homes in search of safety.
In February, thousands of residents were reported to have fled parts of Borgu and Agwara, with some crossing into Benin Republic.
The repeated attacks have left residents questioning whether security deployments made after each incident are enough to stop the next one.
That concern has become more pronounced following the August 21 attack, which targeted worshippers during prayers.
Villages emptied
Malam Mohammed, a resident, told DAILY POST that many villagers had fled to Babana following the latest attacks.
He said the Dekara area was now largely deserted, while the military had taken control of parts of the affected area.
According to him, residents of the villages where the attacks occurred had left because they no longer felt safe.
Some, he said, had also crossed into Benin Republic.
Musa, a resident of Wawa who also spoke to DAILY POST, said the displaced villagers had left behind their homes, farms and other means of livelihood.
He explained that they wanted a lasting solution before considering a return.
“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, stated that residents were also worried that the latest deployment might not be sustained.
She observed that security agencies usually increased their presence after attacks, but residents feared that the attackers would return if the deployment was later reduced.
“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 insecurity has also created suspicion within some communities, with residents worried about alleged informants working for criminal groups.
Some residents claimed that information about a meeting involving district heads after the abduction may have reached the attackers.
The claim could not be independently verified.
But the allegation has increased mistrust among residents, with some becoming cautious about the people they share information with.
Residents are also concerned about the effect of the situation on cooperation with security agencies, as communities need to provide information to help track attackers but are increasingly afraid that such information could be leaked.
Galla village head killed
The killing of the village head of Galla, Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf, has further increased tension in the emirate.
Yusuf was killed in his palace by suspected bandits days after the abduction of the worshippers.
He was a retired military officer and a 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 in his palace as a demonstration of the “boldness and high level of insolence” of the attackers.
Bago called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those responsible.
CAN calls for permanent presence
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Niger State chapter, has also called for stronger security 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 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 the state to pray for the safe return of the abducted worshippers.
Police admit operational challenges
The Niger State Police Command, during a visit by IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu on August 29 acknowledged the difficulty of policing the affected area.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, said Niger State covers about 76,000 square kilometres, with large forests, scattered communities and difficult terrain.
He identified Niger North, which includes Borgu and Agwara, as the most challenging operational zone.
Following the August 21 attack, the command deployed tactical teams, Police Mobile Force personnel and other security operatives to Borgu and Agwara.
The command said it was also working with community members and local vigilantes to establish the number of people abducted and support the rescue operation.
Elleman, however, listed manpower shortages, inadequate mobility, limited logistics and the need for modern surveillance equipment among the challenges facing the command.
The police requested additional personnel, Armoured Personnel Carriers, improved communication systems, surveillance drones, aerial monitoring equipment and night-vision devices.
IGP deploys AIG, tactical team
IGP Disu, while responding to the challenges, deployed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Abuja, AIG Victor Olaiya, and a tactical team to support the operation in Borgu.
The IGP, who spoke during his visit, said he came to interact with officers, understand their challenges and assure them of the support of the police hierarchy.
According to him, “I came first to interact and understand your challenges and to say thank you.”
He said Nigerians were concerned about the security situation in Niger State and urged officers not to lose courage.
The IGP stated, “Every Nigerian is concerned about what is happening in Niger State.”
Disu condemned the attacks on innocent citizens and said the activities of the attackers were wrong.
He also said insecurity was affecting the economic situation in the state.
The IGP, however, called on residents to see the police as their protectors and urged officers to work with other security agencies to address the problem.
“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 also told senior officers of the command that his visit was aimed at understanding the operational realities of the command and identifying areas where the police hierarchy could provide assistance.
The IGP observed that the rescue operation was not the responsibility of the police alone, noting that the Nigerian Army, intelligence agencies and other security organisations were working together.
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 police boss explained that he was satisfied with the progress made so far but declined to disclose some details because of their operational sensitivity.
The IGP also called for stronger cooperation between the police, traditional rulers, religious leaders and communities.
He further disclosed that residents were already providing useful information to Divisional Police Officers to help in the fight against crimes, not only in the state but across the country.
Residents want more than rescue
Dantoro said the immediate rescue operation should be followed by a security arrangement capable of preventing another attack, including the involvement of local vigilantes who understand the terrain.
He disclosed that the security situation had changed the way people travelled to Borgu, noting that roads and communities that were once accessible at night were now feared even during the day.
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 noted that residents were not only asking for the abducted persons to be rescued but also wanted measures that would stop 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 permanent and sustained security across the affected communities to enable residents to return to their homes, farms and businesses, while appealing for support for displaced women and children taking refuge in Babana and other affected locations.
Dantoro appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the security situation, describing him as “our father, our late father’s friend and the Jagaban Borgu.”
For now, many of the affected residents remain away from their homes and farms, waiting to see whether the latest security operation will give them enough confidence to return.
The immediate demand is for the safe return of those abducted.
But for the people who have fled, the bigger question is whether the security presence will remain after the current operation ends.
They want to return home, but they also want to be sure they will not have to flee again.
