The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has condemned the deadly attacks on four communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State and called for the urgent rescue of those still being held captive.
The Council, led by its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, described the violence as a grave assault on innocent civilians and the sanctity of worship.
The attacks took place on Friday, August 21, 2026, in Gbeji (Gidan-Zana), Kpenya, Giyan Gbasu and Dekara.
Local officials and residents said scores of people were killed, injured or abducted, while attackers also stormed a mosque in Dekara during Jumu’ah prayers and abducted more than 60 worshippers.
The NSCIA said the targeting of Muslims during Friday prayers was particularly disturbing, describing it as both an attack on civilians and a serious violation of the right to worship in safety.
Reports indicate that around 30 people were killed, several others wounded and dozens remain in captivity.
The Council said the scale of the attack underlined the need for immediate and decisive government action.
It also pushed back against attempts to portray Nigeria’s insecurity as violence directed exclusively at one religious community, arguing that the killing and abduction of Muslims in predominantly Muslim areas demonstrated the wider and indiscriminate nature of the country’s security crisis.
The NSCIA questioned how long vulnerable communities would continue to face killings and mass abductions while armed groups operated with what it described as alarming audacity.
Repeated attacks expose security failures
The Council said the latest violence was especially concerning because Dekara and neighbouring communities have reportedly been subjected to repeated attacks in recent years.
Previous raids are said to have forced residents from their ancestral homes, with some seeking refuge elsewhere in Niger and Kwara states and others crossing into the Republic of Benin.
The NSCIA also noted that the latest attack occurred only weeks after a major hostage-rescue operation in the same wider region.
On August 5, Nigerian security forces reportedly rescued 308 abducted people from the forests around Kainji Lake National Park.
Those rescued included 163 people abducted from Woro in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State and 145 people taken from communities in Borgu Local Government Area, including Kasuwan Daji, Konkonso and Pissa.
The Council said that operation showed what could be achieved when intelligence, coordination, resources and political will were properly deployed.
However, it warned that the renewed attacks raised serious questions over whether those security gains were being sustained.
NSCIA demands permanent security strategy
The NSCIA called on the Federal Government to move beyond periodic rescue operations and establish a permanent, intelligence-led and community-focused security strategy aimed at preventing armed groups from repeatedly overrunning vulnerable communities.
It demanded an immediate review of security arrangements across Niger and Kwara states and adjoining border areas, particularly around Kainji Lake National Park and extensive forest corridors reportedly being used as hideouts and locations for holding hostages.
The Council urged the government and security agencies to deploy all available resources to locate and rescue those still in captivity following the August 21 attacks.
It said the safe recovery of the abducted victims must be treated as an urgent national priority.
The NSCIA also called for stronger aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, early-warning systems and coordinated ground operations, warning that difficult terrain and forest areas must not be allowed to become permanent sanctuaries for armed groups.
It said security personnel deployed to vulnerable communities must also be properly equipped, supported and given the logistical resources necessary to protect civilians.
Communities urged to work with security agencies
The Council called for closer cooperation between state governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, local communities and security agencies.
It urged authorities to protect residents who provide actionable intelligence and to properly regulate and integrate lawful community vigilante structures into wider early-warning and civilian-protection systems.
The NSCIA appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Council, the Ministries of Defence and Interior and other relevant security agencies to treat the Borgu attacks as a national emergency requiring coordinated and sustained action.
It extended condolences to the families of those killed, prayed for the recovery of the injured and expressed solidarity with relatives of those who remain in captivity.
The Council also urged affected Muslim communities in Niger State and across Nigeria to remain steadfast in the face of the violence.
It reaffirmed that Nigerians have a right to security, justice and accountability, and said those responsible for the attacks must be brought to justice.
