At least 2,000 people from Dekera district in Nigeria’s Niger state have fled into neighbouring Benin republic after the attacks last Friday in which hundreds of people were abducted during a raids by gunmen on mosques in the area. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and his government must urgently address the country’s horrifying spate of abductions targeting rural communities in the north, as at least 1,100 people have been abducted in three months – from January to April 2026.Those abducted are frequently subjected to torture, starvation, amputation, rape, forced to witness or commit atrocities. Many of the communities affected by the abductions have for years also endured frequent attacks by gunmen.
Estimates of the number of abductions by gunmen and armed groups across Nigeria vary and some of the commonly cited figures vastly understate the scale of the problem.Borgu has been consistently attacked and right now face unprecedented tragedy of killings and displacements. Authorities must do more to precent further attacks, rescue those abducted and bring to justice those suspected of being behind these atrocities.
Joseph Akwagiobe is a media contributor from Cross River State, Nigeria, currently based in Abuja. He is a graduate of Microbiology and has earned several professional certifications across diverse fields, reflecting his commitment to continuous learning, professional growth, and excellence.