Security forces comprising the military, police and Department of State Services (DSS) have been deployed to Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State to rescue hundreds of residents reportedly abducted by terrorists.
The deployment followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for security agencies to secure the affected communities and ensure the safe recovery of the victims.
The police have put the number of abducted residents at between 155 and 164, while the terrorists claimed in a video that they were holding more than 500 people.
A community leader in neighbouring Babanna, Idris Shiyaki, confirmed that troops had arrived in the area, saying the situation had become relatively calm following the deployment.
“The situation now is a bit under control because they mobilised military personnel there. As I speak, the troops are still expanding their base,” he said.
A senior DSS officer also confirmed the deployment, saying additional personnel were expected to join the team.
The attacks occurred on August 21 across several communities in Borgu during Islamic prayers and were suspected to have been carried out by Lakurawa and Boko Haram elements.
The attackers reportedly invaded Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district, as well as Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages, before attacking other communities, killing residents, abducting others and setting properties ablaze.
Shiyaki said security personnel were also assisting survivors and helping with the mass burial of victims whose bodies were recovered from the affected communities.
He added that military vehicles were being used to transport displaced residents who fled to Babanna, which has become a refuge for survivors.
A senior security officer said personnel were deployed immediately after the President issued the directive, but stressed that the rescue operation required careful planning.
“The first thing is to gather intelligence and know what is on the ground. A rescue operation is not done in a hurry. This is just a process, but I can assure you that the victims will be rescued,” the officer said.
The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, also confirmed that the rescue operation had commenced.
Abiodun explained that security agencies were prioritising the safe recovery of the abductees, warning that rushing the operation could put the victims at greater risk.
According to him, at least five communities were affected by the attacks, resulting in deaths, displacement and destruction of property.
Shiyaki identified the affected communities as Mayanga, Dekara, Kapubara, Gbagbazhi and Yagba, saying the attackers moved from one community to another, burning houses and abducting residents.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that hundreds of the abducted residents may be held inside the Kainji National Park.
Security analyst Kabir Adamu said the vast forest reserve could provide the terrorists with a strategic location to keep the victims while negotiating their release.
He said the abductees could potentially be divided into different groups and held in separate locations within the forest.
A recently retired military intelligence officer also called for the deployment of tactical teams to strategic locations within the forest reserve to prevent the terrorists from moving the victims.
The development has renewed concerns over the growing presence of armed groups in the old Borgu area, where several ideological and non-ideological groups are reportedly operating.
Authorities also disclosed that residents of some of the affected communities had previously been advised to leave the area because of the growing terrorist threat.
A government official, who spoke anonymously, said the communities had been regarded as danger zones because of the proximity of terrorist groups operating around Kainji National Park.
The police spokesman confirmed that residents had previously been warned and that the government had planned a clearance operation to flush out the armed groups.
Abiodun said the proposed operation could not be effectively conducted because many residents were unwilling to abandon their ancestral homes and farming activities.
He, however, stressed that protecting lives should take precedence over remaining in communities considered unsafe.
The police spokesman said residents would only be encouraged to return after security agencies had completed the planned clearance operation and declared the areas safe.
The Niger State Government had also disclosed that the terrorists had yet to establish contact with authorities over the abducted residents.
Security agencies are expected to continue intelligence gathering and coordinated operations in Borgu and surrounding areas as efforts intensify to locate and rescue the victims.
