Six days after suspected terrorists abducted worshippers during Friday prayers in Niger State, the state government says it has not received any communication from the attackers and is still working to determine the exact number of victims.

The Commissioner for Information, Obed Nuhu, disclosed this on Thursday while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, saying the August 21 attacks occurred in three locations within Borgu Local Government Area.

Nuhu said the government suspected the involvement of Lakurawa and Boko Haram elements but had yet to establish direct contact with the perpetrators.

He also cautioned against relying on unverified figures, saying the government would only announce the number of abducted persons after obtaining credible information.

The attacks began when suspected terrorists stormed the Kpenya Mosque in Gidan-Zana, Kpenya village, during Juma’at prayers at about 2 p.m. on August 21. Worshippers, including women, children and elderly persons, were reportedly taken away.

The incident was initially described by the Niger State Police Command as an abduction involving an unspecified number of people. The police said some residents managed to escape into a nearby forest, while no death had been recorded at the mosque at the time.

Subsequent reports indicated that the attacks extended to other communities in the Dekara area, including Gbeji, Kpenya, Giyan Gbasu and Dekara, where residents were reportedly killed, injured or abducted.

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Northern Senators Forum have raised concerns over the scale of the attacks, with the Islamic council reporting that more than 60 worshippers were abducted from a central mosque in Dekara during prayers.

The Presidency subsequently directed the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other security agencies to coordinate efforts to rescue the victims.

The Presidency also reported that more than 40 people were killed across the affected communities, while over 100 others were abducted and taken into surrounding forests. The figures have, however, not been independently reconciled by the Niger State Government.

Rescue operation intensifies

Security agencies have continued efforts to locate the abducted victims and apprehend the attackers.

The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has deployed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Victor Olaiya, to coordinate the rescue operation alongside other security agencies.

Governor Umaru Bago had also directed security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of the victims and restore normalcy to the affected communities.

The state government said a joint operation had been activated to assess the affected areas, track the attackers and rescue those abducted, but declined to disclose operational details, citing security considerations.