THE NIGERIAN Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has condemned the August 21 terrorist attacks on four communities in Borgu LGA of Niger State, describing the assault as a barbaric attack that killed and injured civilians and resulted in the abduction of dozens of people, including Muslim worshippers observing Jumu’at prayers.
In a statement signed by its Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, and issued on Wednesday, NSCIA said the attacks targeted Gbeji (Gidan-Zana), Kpenya, Giyan Gbasu and Dekara, leaving communities traumatised and raising fresh concerns over the security situation in the region.
NSCIA, led by its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, said it was particularly disturbed by the attack on Dekara, where terrorists reportedly entered the Central Mosque during Friday prayers and abducted more than 60 worshippers.
According to the council, reports indicated that about 30 people were killed in the attacks, while several others sustained injuries, some of them reportedly life-threatening. It added that dozens of victims remained in captivity.
The council described the invasion of a mosque during Jumu’at prayers as an attack not only on civilians but also on the sanctity of worship and citizens’ fundamental right to practise their faith without fear.
It also argued that the attack demonstrated the dangers of portraying insecurity in Nigeria as a conflict directed exclusively against Christians, saying such a characterisation could undermine efforts to build the collective response required to confront terrorism.
“Such horrendous savagery against innocent Muslims observing the Jumu’ah prayer” challenges claims that insecurity in parts of Nigeria is genocidal against Christians, the council said, stressing the need for Nigerians to unite against terrorism irrespective of religious affiliation.
The NSCIA questioned how long Nigerians would continue to be killed and abducted in their communities while terrorists operated with what it described as audacity.
It also raised concerns over the repeated attacks on Dekara and neighbouring communities, saying the latest incident was reportedly the third major attack on the area in recent memory.
Previous attacks, according to the council, had forced residents to abandon their ancestral communities and seek refuge elsewhere in Niger and Kwara states, as well as across Nigeria’s border in the Republic of Benin.
Concerns Over Renewed Attacks
The council expressed particular alarm that the latest violence occurred less than three weeks after a major hostage-rescue operation in the same broader area.
On August 5, Nigerian security personnel reportedly rescued 308 abducted persons from the forested area of Kainji Lake National Park. The victims include 163 people abducted from Woro in Kaiama LGA of Kwara State and 145 people from communities in Borgu LGA, including Kasuwan Daji, Konkonso and Pissa.
The NSCIA said the operation demonstrated what Nigerian security forces could achieve when sufficient resources, intelligence, coordination and political will were deployed.
However, the renewed attacks, it said, raised questions about the sustainability of those gains and the ability of security agencies to prevent terrorists from returning to vulnerable communities.
The council therefore called on the Federal Government to move beyond what it described as episodic rescue operations and establish a permanent, intelligence-driven and community-centred security architecture.
It demanded an immediate review of security arrangements across Niger and Kwara states and adjoining border communities, particularly areas around Kainji Lake National Park and forest corridors allegedly being used by terrorists as operational bases and locations for holding captives.
Call for Immediate Rescue Operation
The NSCIA urged the government and security agencies to mobilise all available resources to locate and rescue everyone still being held following the August 21 attacks.
It called for intensified aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, early-warning mechanisms and coordinated ground operations, arguing that forests and difficult terrain used by terrorists should no longer be treated as inaccessible areas.
The council further urged the government to ensure that security personnel deployed to vulnerable communities were adequately equipped, motivated and supported with the tactical, operational and logistical resources needed to protect civilians.
It also called for closer cooperation among state governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, local communities and security agencies.
According to the council, residents who provide actionable intelligence must be protected, while lawful community vigilante structures should be properly regulated and incorporated into wider early-warning and community-protection systems.
The NSCIA specifically appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Council, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior and relevant security agencies to treat the Borgu attacks as a national emergency requiring an immediate and coordinated response.
The council expressed condolences to the families of those killed and prayed for the recovery of those injured. It also urged families of the abducted victims to remain hopeful while calling for intensified efforts to secure their release.
The NSCIA said Nigerians had a right to demand security, justice and accountability from institutions responsible for protecting them.
It also urged Muslims in Niger State and across the country to remain steadfast in their faith and resolute in the face of terrorism.
“Let us be resolute and not be subdued by terror,” the council said.
