DEKARA — Gunmen attacked worshippers at a mosque in Dekara village during Friday prayers. The attack occurred at Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district of the Borgu Local Government Area. Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun stated the attack occurred at approximately 2 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Friday.

The attackers first attacked Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages before storming the mosque. Residents said the video showed about 600 women, children, and older people abducted in the attack. Several children could be heard crying in the background of the video.

A gunman speaking in Hausa addressed families of the captives in the video. "These are all your people. We are showing you this video so that you can identify your family members, your fathers, mothers, children and relatives," the gunman said. No older version of the video was found posted online before Sunday.

Four residents said they were able to confirm the identities of some of those seized in the video. "The people in the video are from Dekara. I’ve identified 13 people that I know," Ibrahim Abubakar said.

Police confirmed an attack on worshippers in the area but said they could not verify the number of people abducted. Wasiu Abiodun said no lives were lost in the Friday attacks.

Federal lawmaker Jafaru Mohammed said several nearby villages were also struck. "Some members of the Mahmuda group were against the doctrine of the Lakurawa, and when they heard of what the Lakurawa were doing, they fought them," he said. Resident Abdullahi Ahmad said the group returned to the area to seize more people as a "bargaining chip" in advance of an expected troop deployment. Ahmad said the group planted landmines on the road out of Dekara.

Resident Jamilu Ibrahim appealed to federal and state authorities to secure the release of the captives. Joint security teams have been deployed to the area for assessment and rescue operations.

What's New

"People were abducted while praying at a Juma’at mosque on Friday," Abdullahi Nasir said. "That was when the bad people came and surrounded the mosque and took them away," Abdullahi Nasir said. Youth leader Zubairu Talba said his 85-year-old father was among those taken.

Survivor Jibril Ahmad blamed members of the Lakurawa armed group for the assault on Dekara.

Why It Matters

The incident fits a pattern of violence in the Borgu Local Government Area, where the 2026 Kasuwan Daji attack was a mass shooting and arson attack carried out by armed gunmen on the village of Kasuwan Daji on 3 January 2026. The disparity between the police confirmation of an attack without verified abduction numbers and resident claims of 600 captives shows the challenges in assessing the scale of such incidents.

The deployment of joint security teams for assessment and rescue operations represents the official response to the crisis. The involvement of multiple armed groups, including the Lakurawa and Mahmuda factions, indicates complex local dynamics that complicate security efforts. Residents continue to appeal for the release of those taken, while authorities work to verify the extent of the abductions.