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NIGER COMMUNITIES COUNTER STATE GOVERNOR’S CLAIM, PUBLISH NAMES OF 547 ABDUCTED WORSHIPPERS

September 26, 2026 • Dons Eze • 7 min read

Communities in Borgu LGA of Niger State have released the names of 547 Worshipers abducted during attacks on Mosques in Dekara District, contradicting the governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s recent alleged comment that only 33 persons were abducted.

While receiving his predecessor, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello, at the Government House to commiserate with the government and people of Niger state over the death of 37 artisanal miners in NSCDC Custody, Bago had described the reports of over 500 persons “as a social media hype”.

“33 were kidnapped at the mosque, and on their way, they kidnapped an additional 30 in a market, making a total of 63. So far, three of those kidnapped were killed and 14 recovered from them, so we should not be misled by people and the social media”, he had said.

The Borgu LGA Chairman, Mohammed Nasir Abdullahi, had also corroborated the governor by telling Daily Trust recently that “a little above 60” were kidnapped during the attack.

But the community kicked against the comments of the political leaders and released names of all the abductees.

In a document, Zubairu Umar, the Youth President of Dekara District, insisted that a total of 547 community members were taken into the Kainji Lake National Park Forest and their whereabouts and condition have remained unknown.

The attack occurred on August 21, 2026, when bandits raided four mosques in Dekara District during Friday Jumma’at prayers.

The abductions spanned multiple local areas, affecting many of families and religious leaders across the district.

A community breakdown signed by Umar detailed the scale of the abduction across five affected communities.

Gbenji: 341 persons
Giagbasso (Sabon Gida): 104 persons

Dekara: 88 persons (including the Chief Imam of Dekara, Adamu Attahiru, alongside local village heads)

Kpenya (Masaka): 9 persons

Gbebara: 5 persons

DEKARA

ABUBAKAR LAFIYA VILLAGE HEAD KA’ADA
MAMUDA LAFIYA MAGAJI OF DEKARA
ALH IDRIS HARUNA
UMAR SHERO
IDRIS SAMARI
IBRO SAMARI
MOHAMMED BIO KOZI
RAKIYA YAHAYA
WASILA YAHAYA
BALKISU GARBA
ALH ABUBAKAR ISAH
ALH SALIHU IDRIS
MOHAMMED IDRIS
MARYAM MOHAMMED
YUSUF
SALIHU MORA
HAJARA MOHAMMED
SHAMSIYA MOHAMMED
AYUBA MOHAMMED
IDRIS MOHAMMED
RUKAYYA MOHAMMED
HALIMATU MOHAMMED
NA’A DOHU IDRIS LAAKI
ALH HARUNA SHUGABA
ABU USMAN
SULEIMAN LAFIYA
GARBA GUMALE
MOHAMMED BUHARI GARBA
SAMIRAT GARBA KASIMU
NAZIRU KASIMU
ABDULRAZAK MUSA TANIMU
MUSTAPHA TANIMU
FATIMA GAYYA YUSUF
FATIMA GIAGBASSO YUSUF
RASIMATU YUSUF
SAKIRA YUSUF
MUSA JIBRIL DENDE
ZAINABU SANI
BALKISU SANI
MUSLIM DAUDA
ANATU MAMUDA
SAFIYA MAMUDA
MUFIRA MAMUDA
SAFIYA LUKMAN
HAUWA HASSAN
USMAN BABA WOO
HAMSATU AL HASSAN
KABIRU AL HASSAN
HAUWA’U ALHASSAN
FATIMA AL HASSAN
MADINATU ALHASSAN
ADAMU ATTAHIRU CHIEF IMAM DEKARA
ISIBA ADAMU
ZAINABU ADAMU
HASIYATU ADAMU LIMAN
LATIFA ADAMU
KADIJAT ADAMU
HALIDATU ADAMU
TAKIYATU ADAMU
HAJARA SHEHU
JAMIU SHEHU
LAMURA SHEHU
SISU SHEHU
AHMADU ATTAHIRU
HALIMATU AHMADU
SAMATU AHMADU
SULIYATU NAZIRU
UMARU SULE IMANI
ALH ADAMU DENDE
ADAMA ADAMU
RUKAYYATU ADAMU
RUFIYATU ADAMU
JAMILA ADAMU
ZAINAB ADAMU
NUHU ADAMU
RAHINATU WEDA
HINDU WEDA
BARAKA IBRAHIM BUKAR
ABBAS SALEMAMATA
MUSA ATTAHIRU LIMAN
BALKISU IDRIS
ANNATU ATTAHIRU MORA
IDRIS BANI YAKUBU
GARBA SAMARI
MUSTAPHA MUHAMMAD
KABIRU IDRIS

ABDUCTED VILLAGERS FROM KPENYA (MASAKA) VILLAGE

BI’O DABO MAGAJI KPENYA
GENE TOWEKI
BASANI TOWEKI
ABDULKARIM KISAMA
ADAMU AHMED
DANJUMA AL HASSAN
LUBATU USMAN
MARYAM LUBABATU
RAMATU SANUSI

GIAGBASSO LIST (SABON GIDA)

ATTAHIRU ZAKARI SARKIN GARI
YAKUBU MAGAJIN GARI
MOHAMMED IMAM
SARKIN SAMARI
IDRIS BIO
KIGALI
LAURATU IDRIS
AMINA IDRIS
SALIMA IDRIS
ALH BATULU
ALH MOHAMMED
ALH ADAMU
ALH ILIYASU
HALIDU BALAZA
RAHANA ATTAHIRU
ATTAHIRU HUSSENAT
ATTAHIRU HASSAN AT
ATTAHIRU ZUBAIRU
ABDULRAHMAN KIDA
ABDULRAHAMAN UMUSIMU
SHUAIBU ALI YU
YUSUF AYUBA
YUSUF ISMAEL
YAKUBU ABDUL AZIZ
YAKUBU BASHIRU
YAKUBU MUSTAPHA
ADAMU SALAMAT
MALAM FARUK BARA’ATU
MALAM FARUK SALAMATU
HALIDU ATITA
AYUBA ASMA’U
YAKUBU BA’ABIU
ILIYASU KADIJ
ILIYASU KAMILA
ILIYASU ROFIYA
ILIYASU SALIFUDDIN
ILIYASU ABDUL SALAMI
ILIYASU MANSURA
ILIYASU TASLIMATU
SANI HABIBA
SANI SAIFAU
SANI NANA FIRDAUSI
SANI RILWANU
SANI KADIJ
SANI IBRAHIM
SIDDIKU SULEIMAN
MUSA SULEIMAN
KAMALUDIN SULEIMAN
ABUBAKAR HADIZA
ABUBAKAR SUFIYAN
ABUBAKAR LAMIDA
ABUBAKAR DUNIYA
ABUBAKAR NINI
ABUBAKAR AZIMU
ABABAKAR BAKE
ABUBAKAR MAS’UDA
MUSA MAIMUNA
MUSA HAUWA
MUSA RAHINAT
MUSA YAHAYA
MUSA KHAUSARA
ALHASSAN MORA
ALHASSAN HAJARA
ALHASSAN NASIRU
ALHASSAN AISHA
ALHASSAN AZIZU
ALHASSAN ASMA’U
ALHASSAN AMIDA
YUSUF ABDUL
YUSUF HALIDU
YUSUF AMINU
AHMED LUKMAN
HABIBU BUSSA
ABDUL KARIM RAHIMATU
ABDULKARIM YUSUF
ABDULKARIM SAKIRU
ABDULKARIM MUSA AT
MUSA WALISU
ABDULKARIM FILUA
ABDULKARIM MOHAMMED
HALIDU WALIYU
ALH SULEIMAN RAHIMATU
ALH SULEIMAN FAWAZU
ALH SULEIMAN YAHUZA
ALH SULEIMAN ALIYU
SALIHU SULEIMAN
BI’O BUKKALI IBRAHIM
ISSA BA’ATUR GOU
ISSA ALIMU
ISSA ANASI
GADONA BA’ATUR GOU
ALH ADAMU NAFI
ALH ADAMU RABI
ALH ADAMU ABDULRAHMAN
ALIMU RUKAYYAT
KIKALI YUSUF
WORU MARYAM
MOHAMMED LAMIDO
MOHAMMED HASSAN
ABUBAKAR SAMINU
AHMED MAHMUD
YUNUSA KUBURA
HALIDU HAMDIYYA
HALIDU ILADA

ABDUCTED PERSONS FROM GBENJI COMMUNITY

MUSSINAT ALIYU
KALIMAT ALIYU
MUKADAS ALIYU
ABASS ALIYU
JAFAR ALIYU
NAFIU ALIYU
RABIU ALIYU
REKIYA MOHAMMED
ADIKUT MOHAMMED
ANATU HARUNA
USSANAT ABASS
MUTIYAT ABASS
SAKINA UMAR
NAJIMU UMAR
MUTAZU UMAR
SA’ADAT UMAR
DANTAMI UMAR
BARI LA UMAR
BADIU UMAR
BIYAMIN UMAR
FARIDAT UMAR
IBRAHIM UMAR
HARUNA GIYA
YUSUF GIYA
KABIRU GIYA
SAFIU GIYA
AYUBA GIYA
HABIBATU GIYA
ANATU GIYA
SIKIR ALHASSAN
RUKAYAT ALHASSAN
RAMU ALHASSAN
SHEHU ALHASSAN
MORATU ALHASSAN
HAWAU MUSA
ABDULLAHI MUSA
MUSIRYAT MUSA
SALISU MUSA
SAKINAT MOHAMMED
NAZIRU MOHAMMED
SAFUNAYE MOHAMMED
MUSA MOHAMMED
JABIR MOHAMMED
BALATU MOHAMMED
ASAT ABUBAKAR
JAFAR ABUBAKAR
UMAR ABUBAKAR
SADIYA ZAKARI
RAFIYAT ZAKARI
BAYEI ZAKARI
IDRIS ZAKARI
AISHAT ZAKARI
BAKE ZAKARI
KIKAMI ZAKARI
ABDULLAHI ZAKARI
ZINAB ZAKARI
AISAT MOH’D
MASUDU MOH’D
FATI MOH’D
MAWKATU MOH’D
GARB MOH’D
BITU ABDULKAREEM
JIRBO ZAKAW
RAMATU ZAKAAR
HASIMU OKOKO
MUSIRMA OKOKO
BADILU OKOKO
BARAKA OKOKO
ANAMI SHEIBU
RISA, ADA SHEIBU
SAFURA SHEIBU
BABI SHEIBU
AMINU SHEIBU
ILIYASU YAWU
ALIMAT ILIYASU
RAMATU ILIYASU
RABIQAT ILIYASU
HASSAN IDRIS
SAUDAT HASSAN
ALHASSAN HASSAN
ANIFAT HUSSAINI
ABDULFATAI HUSSAINI
NIIMATU HUSSAINI
NURUDEEN HASSAN
RUFAIMATU HASSAN
MUJEBAT HUSSAINI
AMINAT ABUBAKAR
SADAM ABUBAKAR
SAMILA SADAM
ROFIA ABUBAKAR
AMIDU ABUBAKAR
RIDWANU ABUBAKAR
BADOU ABUBAKAR
JAMILA AWAL
MUILAT RUFAI
NASIRU ILIUASU
HAMZA ALHASSAN
SALIFU ALHASSAN
AMZIYATU ALHASSAN
JIBRIL SAMARI
AMINAT JIBRIL
RUKAIYAT KABIRU
SUDIKAT KABIRU
SODIK KABIRU
ZALIYA AMUDA
SARATU AMUDA
AINATU AMUDA
FAUZIYA AMUDA
MUIDEEM AMUDA
ABDUL-WALIU AMUDA
ABASS AMUDA
AMUTULLAH AMUDA
NAIMATU AMUDA
KAFILA AMUDA
RUFA’INATU AMUDA
NIIMATU AMUDA
BILYAMINU AMUDA
RAFIYATU AMUDA
ALHAJI LOMAN ALIYU
HAWAU ALIYU
HAWAU ALIYU
RABIU ALIYU
MOMIRATU ALIYU
SARIFATU ALIYU
BINTU ALIYU
RASIDI ALIYU
HASIYAT ALIYU
JAMILA ALIYU
NABIYA AWAL
RASHIDA SAMIU
KADISATU SAMIU
ADIJAT SULEIMAN
SAMILA SULEIMAN
NAIGE HAMIDU
SAMSIYATU HAMIDU
BANAA HAMIDU
ADISA HAMIDU
SOLIYA HAMIDU
KALIMAT IBRAHIM
MOHAMMED IBRAHIM
RABI IBRAHIM
SA’DAT IBRAHIM
MUZAMMIR ISRALI
FADIN IBRAHIM
RABIU IBRAHIM
SHARIFAT IBRAHIM
SHELIHAT IBRAHIM
ANANAT IBRAHIM
MARIYAM MUDASHIR
YASHIR MUDASHIR
AWALI ABDULAZIZU
ALHASSAN BAGIDI
AISHAT MOHAMMED ALAJI
AISHAT AKTU
ZUBAIRAT ALAJI
RUBATU ALAJI
USMAN ALAGI
NA’ANU ALAGI
BAGALU ALAGI
SAMILA ALAGI
UMMEYL HALIRU ALAGI
ZHUN AHMAD BAIKO
ZARATU AHMED
RASHIDAT AHMED
ATIFAT AHMED
AMIRAT AHMED
KALIMU JIBRO
ANATU ABDULLAHI
HASSANAT ABDULLAHI
SA’ADU ABDULLAHI
MULSANU GA’ADE
MOHAMMED GA’ADE
ISBATU ADAMU
HAMIDU ISSAH
MOHAMMED ISSAH
ANATU ISHAKU
ATTAHIRU ISHAKU
SHARIFAT ISHAKU
WASILAT ISHAKU
NA’AGONI ISHAKU
MOMIDU ISSAH
RAMATU SULE SANI
AWALI MAMA
ATIKU MAMA
UMABU ABUBAKAR
MAISARI AUDU
HALIRU AUDU
AWALI AUDU
ASIYAT SUNUSA
BIO GENE
ABDULRAK GENE
ZINATU GENE
ANIFAT GENE
HUZEIRU GENE
MUNAFU YUSUF
MUDASHIR YUSUF
RUMASAU YUSUF
RIDWAN USMAN
ZULKIFURU YUNUSA
RABIRAT YUNUSA
RAFIYAT YUNUSA
YUNUSA SULE
RAKIYAT YUNUSA
ZAINAB YUNUSA
HADISAT AT HALU
MARYAM ISHAKU
SAIDU ATTAHIRU
FURAILA SAIDU
HAMIDAT- SAIDU
SHERIFAT SAIDU
ISBATU SAIDU
DALAJA SAIDU
AKIMU SAIDU
MOHAMMED TSHAKU
SHOUWA TSHAKU
SULEIMAN ISHAKU
FARIDAT SALIHU
FATIMAT MALIKI
MARIALIYETU MALIKI
HAMDAT MALIKI
NAIYE MALIKI
MAIMUNAT MALIKI
HALIDU GOBA ZA
ZAINAB MUSA
SALATU SULEIMAN
SULE SANI
AMU SATU HALIDU
FATI UMARU
SUBIRU UMARU
AMUDANU UMARU
SUBIDA UMARU
SAMUSIYA UMARU
AMUDANU UMARU
LIDIWANU UMARU
TANIMU UMARU
BAYANU UMARU
ABU AHMED
YUSUF AHMED
ADISAT ABU
SADIYAT YUSUF
IDINU YUSUF
IDIYAT YUSUF
SADIKI ABU
NAZIRAT ABU
FAWUSAT MASAHUDU
FASADU MASAHUDU
NAFISAT AHMED
SAHIDAT ADAMU
MUSARAT FANAT
HABIRU ABU
MARUFAT SAHIDU
AWAL MOHAMMED
ATIKU MOHAMMED
ALIYU SULEIMAN
HALIMAT SULEIMAN
AMIDA SULEIMAN
INDATU SULEIMAN
AKIMA SULEIMAN
AMINA SULEIMAN
SODIKA SULEIMAN
BALKISU SULEIMAN
SULEIMAN SANI
RAMATU SULEIMAN
MOH’D SULEIMAN
FATIMA SULEIMAN
SAMIRAT SULEIMAN
HADIZAT SANI
AMARYA SETA SOMAILA
IBRAHIM SOMAILA
ALKIRALI SOMAILA
JAMEYILI SOMAILA
MOHAMMED SANI
RUKUMANU SANI
ALHAJI ALIYU GBEYA
MALIKI ALIYU GBEYA
LAHANA ALIYU GBEYA
ABDUL-KADIR ALIYU GBEYA
TAJUDEEN ALIYU GBEYA
FATIMA MAKARI
DANBAU ADAMU
MARUFI SAIDU
NAZIRU SAIDU
RASHIDAT SALIHU
MUJAHIDEEN SALIHU
MUJTADA SALIHU
MUHTATU SALIHU
RAHIMA SALIHU
MUJANATU JAFARY
ABU JAFARY
HALIDU JAFARY
SAFATU JAFARY
MARYAM AMINU
HUSSAINI ALHAJI BAZA
SUIBAT ALH. BAZA
ABDURAMAN ALH. BAZA
AMANYAN ALH. BAZA
KAMEN ALH. BAZA
SAFANA AMANIYE ALH-BAZA
HAFSAT IBRAHIM
MARIYA ABDUBAZIZ
ZAINAB ABDUL-KAREEM
MOHAMMED AWAL ABDUL-KAREEM
ALIYU ABDUL-KAREEM
UMMI HAIMA ZALAIYU
HADI ABUBAKAR LAAKI
HUSSAINI ALIYU
SAUDA MUSA
AKIMA MUSA
QOSIBAT MUSA
ZUWAINAT ABU LAAKI
NA-GALO ABU LAAKI
MAJIDA ABU LAAKI
KAFILAT ABU LAAKI
BAA AUDU MAI SAMARI BANI
ALIYU BA’AUDU BANI
LIMATU MASAUDU
SURAJO MASAUDU
MAIGIDA ISSAH
YAZIDU ISSAH
ABDUL-WAHAB ISSAH
MALILAT ISSAH
RASHIDAT ISSAH
ZARADEEN YAZIDU
NANA ABDUL-WAHAB
RABIU ALIYU GBEYA
UMARU FARUK ALIZU GBEYA
ZAINAB ALIYU GBEYA
ALIYU (A) ALIYU GBEYA
MOHAMMADU ALIYU GBEYA
SAUDAT ALIYU GBEYA
AKIMA ALIYU GBEYA
QOSIFAT ALIYU GBEYA
MUSILIU ALIYU GBEYA
MAMMADU (AK) ALIYU GBEYA
KATUMI BASHIRU ALIYU GBEYA
ADAMU YUSUF
ISSAH YUSUF
ABDULLAHI YUSUF
INDALU YUSUF
KIDAYA YUSUF
AISE YUSUF
JORA ISIYA YUSUF

ABDUCTED PERSONS FROM GBEBARA COMMUNITY

MUSA KALA MAKERI
KABIRU YAKUBU
ISHAQ ATTAHIRU
SHAFIU AHMED
MALLAM AHMADU

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.