The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has condemned the deadly terrorist attacks on four communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, demanding immediate action to rescue scores of people still held captive and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Council, under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar, said the simultaneous attacks on Gbeji (Gidan-Zana), Kpenya, Giyan Gbasu and Dekara on Friday, August 21, 2026, represented a disturbing escalation of violence against defenceless communities.
In a statement signed by its Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, the NSCIA said scores of civilians were killed, injured or abducted during the attacks, with the incident at Dekara Central Mosque described as particularly horrifying.
According to the Council, terrorists stormed the mosque while Muslims were observing Jumu'at prayers and abducted more than 60 worshippers.
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It added that about 30 people were reportedly killed in the attacks, while several others sustained injuries, some of them life-threatening, with dozens still believed to be in captivity.
The NSCIA described the invasion of a mosque during Friday prayers as a "heinous assault" on innocent Nigerians and a grave violation of the sanctity of worship and citizens' fundamental right to practise their faith without fear.
The Council also warned against portraying Nigeria's insecurity as a conflict exclusively targeting Christians, arguing that the Borgu attacks demonstrated the need for a united national response to terrorism irrespective of the victims' religious identity.
It questioned how long innocent Nigerians would continue to be killed and abducted while terrorists operate with such audacity.
The NSCIA said repeated attacks on Dekara and neighbouring communities were particularly alarming, noting that the latest incident was reportedly the third major attack on the area in recent years.
It said previous attacks had forced entire communities to abandon their ancestral homes and seek refuge in other parts of Niger and Kwara States, as well as across the border in the Republic of Benin.
The Council expressed further concern that the latest violence occurred barely three weeks after security forces reportedly rescued 308 abducted persons from the Kainji Lake National Park forest.
On August 5, security forces reportedly rescued 163 people abducted from Woro in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State and another 145 victims from communities in Borgu, including Kasuwan Daji, Konkonso and Pissa.
While commending the operation as evidence of what Nigeria's security forces can achieve with adequate intelligence, resources, coordination and political will, the NSCIA said the renewed attacks raised serious questions about the sustainability of the gains.
It therefore urged the Federal Government to move beyond what it described as episodic rescue operations and establish a permanent, intelligence-driven and community-centred security architecture capable of preventing terrorists from repeatedly returning to vulnerable communities.
The Council called for an immediate review of security arrangements across Niger, Kwara and adjoining border communities, particularly around the Kainji Lake National Park and forest corridors allegedly being exploited as terrorist hideouts and hostage-holding bases.
It demanded the immediate mobilisation of all available resources to locate and rescue everyone still being held captive following the August 21 attacks.
The NSCIA also urged security agencies to intensify aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, early-warning mechanisms and coordinated ground operations, insisting that forests and difficult terrains must no longer be treated as inaccessible sanctuaries for terrorists.
It called for security personnel deployed to vulnerable communities to be adequately equipped, motivated and supported with the necessary tactical and logistical resources.
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The Council further urged state governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders and communities to strengthen cooperation with security agencies, while ensuring that residents providing intelligence are adequately protected.
It also called for lawful community vigilante structures to be properly regulated and integrated into wider early-warning and civilian protection mechanisms.
The NSCIA urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Council, the Ministries of Defence and Interior, and all relevant security agencies to treat the Borgu attacks as a national emergency requiring immediate and coordinated intervention.
The Council extended condolences to families of those killed, prayed for the recovery of the injured and expressed solidarity with families whose loved ones remain in captivity.
It urged the affected communities and the wider Muslim Ummah to remain steadfast, insisting that Nigerians must not be subdued by terror.
"Let us be resolute and not be subdued by terror," the Council said.
