Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A deeply disturbing video that surfaced on social media on Saturday, August 22, 2026, shows men, women and children from Dekara and surrounding communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State being held captive by bandits after they were abducted from a mosque shortly after Friday prayers. The footage, which has since gone viral, depicts a harrowing scene: dozens of captives, including elderly men and young children, are seen lying on the ground in the rain, with gunshots ringing out in the background as armed terrorists surround their victims. The attack occurred on Friday, August 21, 2026, at approximately 2 p.m., when the assailants, suspected to be members of the Lakurawa, Mamuda and Boko Haram factions, stormed the Central Mosque in Kpenya village, Dekara District, after already striking Gidan-Zana and other neighbouring communities.
According to local sources and residents, between 60 and 80 worshippers were abducted during the coordinated assault. Among those taken were the Village Head of Ka'ada, the 90-year-old father of the District Head of Dekara, and the chief imam of the central mosque. Zubairu Umar Talba, a youth leader in the Dekara area, told the Associated Press that his 85-year-old father was among those seized. The attackers reportedly targeted elders in the affected communities, accusing them of calling on the government to establish military bases in the area to check terrorist activities. The viral footage shows the captives, many of them elderly, being forced to lie on the wet ground as the rain pours down, while the terrorists can be heard firing shots in the background. Some worshippers were reportedly attacked with machetes, while others managed to escape with injuries.
The assault did not stop at Kpenya; the gunmen subsequently moved into neighbouring communities, including Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka, where they abducted more people after Friday prayers. The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the incident, with spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun stating that a joint security detachment has been deployed to the area for assessment and rescue operations. However, efforts to rescue the victims have been severely hampered by a collapsed bridge linking the main town with the affected community, as well as difficult terrain and poor road conditions. The Niger State Government has expressed deep concern over the incident and directed relevant authorities to work closely with security agencies to ensure the safe recovery of the abducted persons.
The viral video of the Dekara abductees has sparked outrage and renewed calls for urgent government action to address the escalating insecurity in Nigeria's North-Central region. The footage showing men, women and children lying on the ground in the rain, with gunshots echoing in the background, stands as a grim testament to the human cost of the government's failure to protect its citizens. As one resident lamented, "Nobody can tell you the exact number of people abducted because, so far, about 80 of our people have been abducted and many have fled the area". The attack on Dekara is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued Borgu Local Government Area, which shares borders with Kebbi and Kwara states as well as the Republic of Benin, and has turned the region into a theatre of terror where communities live in constant fear of abduction, displacement and death.
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