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Armed militants kidnapped dozens of worshippers and killed scores of residents during a Friday prayer attack in Nigeria's Niger State.

Armed militants from the Lakurawa group stormed the Kpenya Mosque and surrounding villages in Nigeria's Niger State during Friday prayers, kidnapping dozens of worshippers and allegedly killing scores of residents. Jibril Ahmad, a survivor of the assault, reported that hundreds of fighters wielding guns, knives, and machetes attacked the community, claiming the residents were not practicing the "true teachings" of Islam. While police officials initially reported no confirmed deaths, local residents and a medical source in Dikera provided figures as high as 40 people allegedly killed by the militants. Federal lawmaker Jafaru Mohammed confirmed that the attacks spread to nearby villages, including Binzi and Dikera. The violence was interrupted by a clash with the Mahmuda group, a rival militant faction that intervened to allow some abductees to escape. The region remains a security challenge as Nigeria faces a 17-year insurgency characterized by a lucrative kidnapping industry. Security forces are currently deployed to the area for assessment and rescue operations, though difficult terrain and poor roads are complicating the efforts to reach the affected communities.

Sources