Scores of Muslim worshippers have reportedly been abducted after suspected bandits attacked several communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident reportedly occurred shortly after Friday prayers in Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka communities.

A federal lawmaker representing the area, Jafar Muhammad Shetiman Borgu, disclosed the development, saying the exact number of people abducted was yet to be confirmed.

According to him, several worshippers were also attacked with machetes during the incident, while some victims managed to escape with injuries.

“Some people managed to escape, while others sustained machete wounds,” he said.

Borgu explained that the attackers first entered Dekara shortly after Friday prayers, where they surrounded a mosque and abducted worshippers before taking them into the forest.

He said the gunmen subsequently moved into neighbouring communities and carried out similar attacks after Friday prayers.

The lawmaker stated that youths and heads of households were among those abducted during the coordinated attacks.

The latest incident has heightened concerns over insecurity in Borgu Local Government Area, which shares borders with Kebbi and Kwara states as well as the Republic of Benin.

Residents in the affected communities are now facing renewed fears over the activities of armed groups operating in the area, as efforts to determine the number of victims and respond to the attacks continue.